Mnisek Castle

THE MNISEK CASTLE

Mnisek Castle is situated approximately 12km south of the capital city Prague in Central Bohemia region.

The first mention about Mnisek Castle comes from the king Charles IV. code called ˶Majestas Carolina” in 14th century. Archeologists founded at the courtyard some interesting things that proves that this building stands at the same place already in the 13th century. Previously it could be a small castle with a wall and a pike which separated castle from the town.

In year 1487 started to live here an importand House of Lords of Mitrovic for a good 150 years and more. Throughout the 16th century this House of Lords worked on mansion with court and they have done so much more constructions works there. The oldest depiction of the Mnisek Castle comes from year 1622. In 1639, General Baner´s Swedish millitary ransacked the castle and burned it down with the courtyard. Next importand year is 1655, when the Prague bourgeois bought Mnisek Castle, he was originally a tanner from Flanders, Servant Engel of Engelsfluss, who had the castle repairted in 1656 – 1672. From this year the castle had an essential form and artistic character.

In the second half of the 18th century under the Unwerth, were here another construction works. After the death Ignatius Umwerth, the castle passed to the Pachts of Paradise. In 1848, a fire marked the castle again. In 1909, after the death of Count Schirding, the property started to belong to his relative Theodorich, the free lord Kast of Ebelsberg, who renovated the castle according to a project from 1910 – 1911. In 1945, the castle was plundered and confiscated.

The castle was cleared in 2000 and extensive renovations began. The restoration of Mnisek Castle started in December 2000. It is a unique project.

If we wanted to map the beginnings of the present form of the castle garden, consisting of the upper and lower parts, we would have to go back to the second half of the 17th century, when Servác Engel of Engelsfluss became the owner of the castle (as we know already). He filled in the original moat and the castle garden formed in its place.

How did the garden look like? We can only guess today. It was probably a baroque form with a fountain. One of the elements of the garden architecture is Salla terena, which we can still see today. From the upper part of the Salla terena we can enjoy the view of the countryside and also to the lower castle park.

For more information about Central Bohemian region, from which this castle comes, click here and here.