The chateau
The Třeboň chateau, southeast of the town centre, is an outstanding example of Renaissance architecture and is the town's foremost monument. It was once no more than a modest farmsted, later rebuilt into a fortress, and finally altered into a stone castle (first mentioned in 1374). At that time, Třeboň was purchased by the Rožmberks who, being both rich and generous, were interested in the further developmnet of the whole region. In the 15th century, the Hussites tried twice to besiege the fortified town, but fortunately did not succeed. In the 16th century, Třeboň became the most productive part of the Rožmberk dominion, however, the town, including the chateau, suffered terrible damage during the fire of 1562. Vilém of Rožmberk therefore appointed Jan and Antonio Ericers to reconstruct the old buildings into a Renaissance chateau. The reconstruction was finished by the famous architect Dominik Cometa. After the death of the last Rožmberk (1611), the Švamberks inhereted the chateau, however, they lost almost all of their possessions in the fatal battle at Bílá Hora (1620). Ferdinand II then presented his own family with the Třeboň estate, however, the property, so easily gained, was not looked after. Repairing of the chateau had to wait until it was purchased by the old German House of the Swarzenbergs in 1660, in whose possession it remained until 1940, when it was confiscated by the Gestapo during World War II. After the first land reform, in the early 1920s, when the Swarzenbergs left the chateau, it served as a hotel. In 1945, the state administration took over the maintainance of the chateau, becoming the owners in 1947.
The history of the building of the chateau
The first important construction on the original site was the castle built by Vok of Rožmberk between the years 1479 and 1482. Its residential buildings were situated on the same site as the north wing of the chateau today. In 1522, two side wings (east and west) were added to the original house.
The chateau was altered during the years 1565 - 1575, when the south west wing and the facade with a tower and gate were built under the supervision of Jan Vlach and Antonio Ericers. By the end of the 16th century, Dominik Cometa added one storey to the north, west, and east wings. The chateau walls were adorned with elaborate scrafitto rustic works leading into the lunette cornice. Next, the chateau was extended northwards when a library and a gallery were built. During these modifications the Břilická gate attached to the chateau was torn down. To replace it, Dominik Cometa constructed the present Budějovická gate, a little to the north. Between 1606 and 1610, he also connected the chateau building with the church of St. Jiljí by a gallery 110 metres long, which was built on the walls of the town's fortifications (today it is called the Long Corridor).
Further reconstructions were undertaken on the inner courtyard and, in 1712, a stone fountain by Jan J. Světecký was erected in front of the southern facade of the chateau. The fountain, showing a Turk whose eyes are being pecked by a crow, a well-known motif of the Schwarzenberg s courtiers, was made to a design of Pavel Ignác Bayer.
During the years 1565 to 1575, the Swarzenbergs began to enclose the southern part of the chateau with the construction of stables and granaries, which were extended by a further side building during the years 1715 to 1719. The Baroque houses on the west of the inner courtyard, which complete its enclosure, were built between 1763 and 1766, and were used as administrative buildings of the Swarzenbergs estate. The house which is next to the chateau building arose on the site of the former chateau brewery.
The walk through the chateau
The chateau is entered from the square by the north gate, built between 1605 and 1607 by Dominik Cometa. The front of the four-wing chateau is enlivened by the tower with its embossed gate and sumptuously furnished sills, both above and below the windows. Above the gate there is an oval coat of arms of the Rožmberks made in 1607 of marble, a work by the stone mason Eliáš Haimschwanger.
The courtyard side of the south wing is dominated by an open one-storey tree-wing arcade. The semi-circular vaults of its ground floor are supported by massive four-sided pillars, whereas those of the upper floor are supported by slender Toscany columns. The heavier part below is embossed and separated from the upper, lighter, loggia by a distinctive ledge. With this arcade, Antonio Ericer considerably improved what had previously been but a modest inner courtyard.
The entire side of the right wing of the main building is occupied by two historical exhibitions on two important south Bohemian noble families, both of whom used to own the castle - the Rožmberks and the Swarzenbergs. The historical exhibition entitled 'Rožmberk Renaissance interiors' traces the family history back to the 17th century, until the coming of the Swarzenbergs. The exhibition 'Private Swarzenberg apartments from the end of the 19th century' opened in 1996. This shows, by means of extensive documentation, the way of life of the last generations of the Hlubocko-krumlovská branch of the Swarzenbergs, and starts with the stay of Duke Adolf Josef and his wife Ida, princess of Liechtenstein. There are also records about many other important persons of the House of Swarzenberg.
Amongst the chateau interiors, the most striking is undoubtedly the spacious sitting room with an oblong ground plan and vaulted with a high mirror vault. The interior was decorated with paintings by Tomáš Třebochovský, who embellished the walls with a painted curtain representing a motif of a garnished apple and a band naming 32 of Petr Vok's courtiers.
The chateau park
A Renaissance garden was laid out by Petr Vok of Rožmberk on the site of the present park at the beginning of the 17th century. However, during the Thirty Year's War, it was twice completely destroyed. After 1660, soon after gaining the Třeboň estate, Jan Adolf Swarzenberg ordered the wet soil to be drained and the chateau garden renovated. The restored garden consisted mostly of fruit trees, with some vegetable plots. After 1804, on the orders of the Dutchess Paulína Swarzenberg, the park underwent its biggest change when it was altered into the fashionable style of an English flower park, as it is today. She decided to abolish the former character of the fruit garden and to plant large groups of trees. The park was further enriched with the addition of various exotic plants, flower beds, and a pond with a fountain during the ownership of the castle by Duke Jan Adolf Swarzenberg and Dutchess Eleonora.
In 1903, a tennis court was built in the park with the permission of Adolf Josef Swarzenberg. It was used by the officers of the local foot regiments and the Swarzenberg clerks. The park was not open to the public before 1945, however, the insensitive treatment of the park during the socialist period, when 'everything belonged to everyone', resulted in much necessary restoration work during the years 1986 and 1999. Nowadays, the park is a favourite rest area for the Třeboň citizens, tourists, and spa-guests, and has an important position in the representation of the chateau and the spa town.
Contact: +420 384 721 193, e-mail: castle.trebon@seznam.cz