Uherčice Castle, Renaissance château in Uherčice, Czech Republic.
Uherčice Castle is a Renaissance château in Uherčice, South Moravia, Czech Republic. Its eastern part, the Old Castle, retains the square layout of a late-Gothic fortress; the Streun family added two parallel Renaissance wings linked by a two-storey arcade, and a southern arcaded courtyard with a square entrance tower.
A late-Gothic fortress built around 1493 by Leopold Kraiger von Kraigk was rebuilt as a Renaissance château by his nephew Wenzel Kraiger, inspired by travels in Italy. Wolf Streun von Schwarzenau bought it in 1562 and expanded it. Confiscated in 1945 under the Beneš decrees, it then served as a barracks and women's prison; renovation began in 2005.
The Streun family built a brewery in the south wing, and three ponds near the castle supplied it with water; the 1628 urbarium also lists cellars cut into rock, vaulted passages and a bakery. The two-storey arcade facing the main courtyard and the Tuscan colonnade above it date from their representative rebuilding.
The castle stands in the western, sparsely built-up part of Uherčice. From 2005 renovation work took place, and the building site was open to visitors from April to October, so access has depended on the state of repairs. The complex is managed by the National Heritage Institute.
After 1945 the Beneš decrees expropriated the castle, and it then served as a barracks and a women's prison. From 2005 renovation work ran on the building, and the construction site could be visited from April to October.
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