Kroměříž
Státní zámek Kroměříž, 767 01 Kroměříž
Tel. +420 573 502 011, e-mail: zamek@azz.cz
There was a redoubt standing apparently as early as the period of the Great Moravian
Empirical at the place of the present manor. Its fate was determined by the fact that in
about 1110 the market town of Kroměříž became the property of the Olomouc bishops, the
richest feudal lords in Moravia. In the second half of the 13th century bishop Bruno of
Schaumburk elevated the status of the town to that of a city and built a Gothic castle here.
At the start of the 16th century it was refashioned in the Renaissance style and became the
residential seat of the Olomouc bishops. In 1643 the city and castle were damaged by the
Swedes and not until the time of bishop Karel Liechtenstein-Kastelkorn (1664 - 1695) was the
manor rebuilt. Its construction had lasted for 12 years and was executed according to
projects of the significant architects Filibert Luches and Giovanni P. Tencally. The manor
is dominated by an 84 meter tower. Behind the structure is a magnificent Under palace Garden,
which is still topped by a slightly more distant Flowery Garden with extraordinarily valuable
garden architecture.
The representation and residential premises of the Kroměříž manor belong among the most
valuable manor interiors of Central Europe. The Hunting, Advisory, and Throne Halls, the Rose
and Czar's Rooms are areas, that might adorn any historical monument. The Vassal Hall with
its ceiling fresco by F. A. Maulbertsch, the manor library with its ceiling painting by the
Brno painter Josef Stern, who is also designer of the fresco in the manor chapel, and the
Parliamentary Hall with three ceiling oil paintings by F. Adolf of Freenthal are all
outstanding for their decoration and furnishings of extraordinary artistic value. All the
aforementioned paintings date back to between 1759 - 1772.
The area of the Parliamentary Hall alone (with 22 crystal chandeliers) covers 400 square
meters.
On the second floor of the manor is located the palace picture gallery, being the second
most significant in the Czech Republic after the Prague gallery. Within its ten halls
visitors can behold paintings of which several are world renowned.
Various artists are represented in the gallery, for instance, Lucas Granach Sr., Hans von
Aachen, Jacob Basano, Paol Veronese, Tizian (the work entitled "Apollon and Marsyas"), Jan
Brueghel senior, Ant. van Dyck, and Johann H. Schönfeld.
