Chroustovice Castle, Baroque château in Chroustovice, Czech Republic.
Chroustovice Castle is a building with a symmetrical layout, consisting of a central structure flanked by two side wings. The complex now serves as a vocational school and is surrounded by a formal garden laid out in the French style.
A fortress stood here by 1406; Zachariáš Slavata had a four-winged Renaissance castle built on its ruins in 1577. František Karel Libštejnský of Kolowrat bought the estate in 1663, demolished the castle in 1676 and replaced it with a Baroque one, probably by the Italian architect who built Rychnov nad Kněžnou for him. Count Filip Kinský had it rebuilt in Rococo style in 1779–1780, and after a fire in 1861 the north façade was given a Neo-Baroque form in 1863–1864.
The castle stands in Chroustovice, whose name it bears. Its grounds are closed to the public because the Chroustovice Vocational School has operated there since 2001, following earlier use as a tuberculosis clinic, a girls' reformatory and a special school. The school's presence explains the barriers and the absence of regular tours.
The castle sits about 13 kilometers east of Chrudim and 17 kilometers southeast of Pardubice, making it accessible by car from both towns. Access to the grounds may be limited since it currently serves as a vocational school, so check ahead before planning a visit.
The castle burned twice, in 1861 and again in 1947, and each rebuilding changed its look: the north façade received its Neo-Baroque form in 1863–1864. From the 1920s the estate served health and school purposes, including a branch of the tuberculosis sanatorium at Košumberk and, during the occupation, a girls' reformatory staffed by Borromean sisters.
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