Bečváry Castle, Baroque château in Bečváry, Czech Republic.
Bečváry Castle is a four-winged, single-storey baroque building with pilasters, an arcaded courtyard and a mansard roof. Its east garden front has a two-storey risalit with a first-floor terrace reached from the main hall, and the west entrance front carries a tympanon with a clock.
A fortress stood here from 1603, built by Jaroslav Myška, and was used as a barn during the Thirty Years' War. Jan Josef z Pfeffershofenu began preparing a baroque château on the site in 1749; building started in 1760 under Jiří Hillebrandt z Prandova. Ernst Gideon von Laudon completed it in 1766–1774 to plans by Jan Josef Wirch, executed by Ignác Jan Nepomuk Palliardi.
The castle chapel of St. Michael, built in the north wing during the rococo remodelling, spans the ground floor and first floor; its altar was painted by Josef Redelmayer in the second half of the 18th century and restored in 2016. The main hall's ceiling paintings by Josef Jáchym Redelmayer and Josef Hager date from 1774.
The castle sits about 40 kilometers east of Prague and is reachable by local roads. Since it is privately owned and undergoing restoration work, it is wise to check ahead before planning a visit.
On the roof ridge stood a gilded crescent, placed there to honour Ernst Gideon von Laudon's victory over the Turks; the terrace and staircase were decorated with sculptures by Ignác František Platzer from around 1770.
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