Bystřice Castle

Bystřice Castle was founded by the Lords of Tvorkov after the demise of Obřany Castle and is first documented in 1440. In the mid-16th century, a Renaissance chateau was probably built in its place. The final form of the chateau was given to it in 1616 by its then owners, Bohunka of Vítkov and Václav Bítovský of Bítov, as evidenced by stone coats of arms above the entrance gate. After the Battle of White Mountain, the chateau was confiscated from the Bítovskýs and passed to the Lobkowiczes; however, not long after, in 1650, the important Austrian noble family of Rottal acquired the chateau. After the mid-18th century, the last member of this family, Franz Anton von Rottal, and then his daughter Marie Amalie, had the chateau repaired in the form in which it has essentially been preserved to this day: The Renaissance fore-chateau with two Baroque wings was supplemented by two Classical wings between 1765 and 1768 according to designs by the important Moravian architect Franz Anton Grimm (the two colored coats of arms above the gate to the second courtyard also date from this period). At the end of the 18th century, the chateau was a place of rich cultural life. The new owner, Count Franz Anton della Rovere di Monte l’Abbate, established a chateau theater and maintained a chapel in the chateau. At this time, a manufactory for the production of ceramics (the so-called Majolica Chamber) was set up on the ground floor of one of the Baroque wings. Shortly thereafter, in 1805, the so-called Great Hall received a romantic painting with motifs of Egyptian landscapes.