User:Terezakobit/Křivoklát Castle

Křivoklát castle is one of the oldest and most important medieval castles belonging to Bohemian dukes and kings. It lays at 285-280 above sea level on a rocky land above the Rakovnický stream on the territory of town Křivoklát, in county of Rakovník, in the Central Bohemian Region. The castle is owned by the country of Czech Republic and is accessible for public. Since 1965, it is considered to be a cultural monument and in 1989, it was put on the list of national cultural monuments of the Czech Republic. The national heritage institute is governing it and making it accessible for public.

History

At first, Křivoklát was used as a hunting castle for the Czech dukes and kings. The first known Czech chronicle Kosmas has mentioned the castle in connection to duke Vladislav I. who imprisoned his cousin Ota Olomoucký in there between 1110-1113. However, this story was never confirmed. Despite the fact that during archeological exploration there were medieval shatters found, it did not prove the fact that this very castle was standing in those years.

The castle was most likely established around 1230 during the times where the kings Přemysl Otakar I. and Václav I. ruled the country. Přemysl Otakar II. rebuild the castle as well as added a chapel. Other important persons of Czech history stayed in Křivoklát such as the queen Eliška Přemyslovna, king Karel IV. with his wife and daughter Markéta, and Václav IV.

Fires often damaged the Křivoklát Castle as they set around 200 years apart.

In the 16th century, the Habsburgs who then owned the castle turned it into a prison. Since 1597 til 1826, several large fires had damaged the building.

Famous prisoners:

Ota II. Olomoucký, Jindřich ze Šumburku, Jindřich Habsburský, Karel IV., Jan Augusta, Edward Kelley

During the 19th century, the family of Fürstenberg became the owners of the castle and had it reconstructed after a fire in 1826. The Fürstenberg family owned the castle until 1929.

Between the 14th and 15th centuries, the first cottages appeared below the castle and the hamlet became known as Budy. Nearby hamlet Čamrdoves grew up, and during the 17th and 18th centuries they became one village. In 1886 the hamlets Budy, Amalín, Čamrdoves, and Častonice created one single administrative unit, the municipality of Křivoklát.

Křivoklát castle served as a location for filming many Czech and Czechoslovakian movies as well as few foreign ones.

Notable Czech/Czechoslovakian movies:

Dalibor (1956)

Spanilá jízda (1963)

Slasti Otce vlasti (1969)

Mrtvý princ (1971)

Toulavý Engelbert (1973)

Noc na Karlštejně (1974)

Honza málem králem (1977)

O statečné princezně Janě (1978)

Jak se budí princezny (1978)

Hra o královnu (1980)

Nebojte se na Česnečce (1980)

Sůl nad zlato (1982)

Ohnivé ženy (1984)

Třetí princ (1984)

Tři veteráni (1984)

Svědek umírajícího času (1990)

Anděl Páně (2005)

Bathory (2008)

Škola princů (2010)

Korunní princ (2015)

Kouzelník Žito (2018)

Foreign movies and series:

The Brothers Grimm (2005), Wanted (2008), Die Wanderhure (2010), Knightfall (series)

Surrounding area

Beer cellars

Chapel of the most holy trio

Monument for the victims of the 1st and 2nd World War

Sculptures along the access road

Gendarmerie

Monument for Charles Egon II.

There are two courtyards, the First (Lower) Courtyard and the Second (Upper) Courtyard. There is a restaurant, coffee shop, and store for visitors. Programs include plays, concerts, musicals, film festivals, and guided tours. At nights, there is a magical tour through the castle.