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HISTORY OF MELNIK CASTLE
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Since Princess Ludmilla, who was born in Melnik, the Castle has
become the residence of the queen widows of Bohemia. Under Emperor
Charles IV Melnik became a royal city.His last wife had the chapel
of the Castle with gothic vaults built.
The last queen who resided in Melnik, was the wife of Jiri
Podebrad. In the following centuries the Estate of Melnik has been
pledged to different noble families. In 1542 the Castle has been
reconstructed in Renaissance Style and the two arcades richly
decorated with sgrafitto patterning have been added.
During the Thirty Years War, the Castle was abandonned. In the
year 1646 Count Czernin started a major reconstruction and had the
Early Barroque southern wing added. The Count purchased the Melnik
Estate form the Emperor. The heiress of the Czernin family, Countess
Ludmilla Czernin, married in 1753 Prince August Anton Lobkowicz.
With the exception of the Second World War and the 40 years of
communist rule, Melnik Castle remained in the family.
The present
owner Jiří Lobkowicz is renovating the Castle since 1992.
13.08.2005
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