czech republic - castle of slavkov

7/30/2019 Czech Republic - Castle of Slavkov

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CASTLE OF SLAVKOV - AUS TER LITZ

National monument


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Castle of Slavkov - Austerlitz

Na ti ona l m on um en t

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GPS coordinates: 495514.951N, 174959.704E

Trafc connectionBy car - highway D1 from Prague - exit Slavkov u Brna

- Highway D1 from Ostrava - exit RousinovBy train - railway station Slavkov u BrnaBy bus - bus station Slavkov u Brna

By bicycle - bikeways 5097, 5136

Dear Visitors,Welcome to Slavkov cast le, a Baroque pearl of

Moravia, close to Brno. In 2008, the castle was in-cluded in the list of national cultural monuments.Besides the guided tour of the cast le, we offer a who-le series of additional services and events. We belie-

ve you will repeat your visit of the Slavkov castle, itsgardens as well as the town of Slavkov. We wish youa pleasant experience.

Services available in the castle: comprehensive services in the area of tourism

(guided tours in the Czech language, also other lan-guages at request and upon previous reservation);

castle caf and summer garden caf close to theticket ofce;

castle restaurant with a wide-range offer of wines; souvenirs, publications and books related to the

Slavkov castle; exhibitions, concerts; cultural and social events in the premises of the

whole castle; wedding ceremonials and wedding receptions.

Castle of Slavkov - AusterlitzPalackho nm. 1, 684 01 Slavkov u BrnaPhone No. / Fax No.: +420 544 221 685Phone No.: +420 544 221 204e-mail: [email protected]

www.zamek-slavkov.cz

Austerlitz Cast le restaurant

Palackho nm. 1684 01 Slavkov u BrnaPhone No.: +420 544 212 166

+420 606 637 666

Contact

April - OctoberDaily except Mondaysfrom 9 am to 4 pmMay and SeptemberDaily except Mondaysfrom 9 am to 5 pmJune - August

Daily from 9 am to 5 pm

NovemberDaily except Mondaysfrom 9 am to 4 pmDecember 1 14Daily except Mondaysfrom 9 am to 4 pmMemorial events

Special mode

Opening hours of the castle

Unsaleable publicationPhotos provided by: Bedich Maleek, Radoslav Lnsk.

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Salla terrena

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Slavkov ranks among the oldest well-preserved manorsin Moravia. In the rst half of the 13th century, a TeutonicKnights Commandery was built in t he place of the present Ba-roque castle. Slavkov is rst mentioned to be in their posses -sion in 1237. Parts of the residential building and circular stair

tower of the commandery are preserved under the northerntract of the Baroque castle and under one part of the castlecourtyard. By the end of t he 16th century, probably during thereign of Oldich III of Kaunitz, a new Renaissance castle waserected on the older foundations with a four-winged ground-plan, arcades and a huge prismatic tower.

The impulse for Baroque reconstruction of the Kaunitz Re-naissance residence in Slavkov was laid by Dominik OndejKaunitz at the end of the 17th century. This task of building arepresentative residence of the family in place of the incon-

venient Renaissance building was entrusted to the Italianarchitect Domenik Martinelli of Lucca. Martinelli introducedhis concept of the Baroque castle in the so-called Danube Ba-roque style in the 1680s. Besides the actual Baroque castle, healso included a modication and reconstruction of a greaterpart of the town with a new parish church. Originally, thecourtyard should have been ended by an entrance gate in theplace of the present ground oor semi-circular stalls.

The construction of the castle started in t he last years of the17th century under the superv ision of local bricklayer foremen

and on infrequent inspections of Martinelli. The central western wing wit h massively extended corners and haunchesof both side wings was erected rst. The western moat wasarched over in its middle by a bridge with several stair levels.The retreating central forefront was emphasized in the rstoor by a balcony opening to the garden from the c entral roomof the 1st oor of the western wing.

Martinellis typical interior solution consisted of two sepa-rate staircases and a rectangular vestibule segmented by huge

ground oor columns. The designers of interior decorationswere also Ita lian masters.The frescoes were painted by Andrea Lanzani who closely

cooperated with the stucco master, Santino Bussi. Sculpturesin the castle as well as in the park were done by Giovanni Giu-

liani.Dominik Ondej, the initiator of the Baroque recon-

struction of Slavkov castle, died in 1705. Only the west-ern wing was nished then. Its successor, and from 1720

also the Moravian family heir, was his son, Maxmilin Oldichof Kaunitz, imperial count of Rietberg, and from 1720 also thehead of the Moravian government. After 1720 he also focusedon the completion of the castle reconstruction. He found a

successor of Martinellis architectural layouts, the Italian ar-chitect Ignacio Valmaggini. The need of a spacious social halland a pretentious frontispiece from the honorary courtyardnecessitated some signicant changes in the original plans,particularly in the courtyard part of the western wing witharched underpass. The efforts to increase the representativecharacter of the courtyard lead to t he expansion of the ends of

the manor wings and the digging out of their courtyard sides.Thus, a large entrance area was created, which was delimitedon the other side by similar arches as in the stalls. From the

beginning of the 1730s, the complet ion of this work was given

to the charge of a competent designer and architect, VclavPetruzzi.

Maxmilin Oldich of Kaunitz did not live long enough tosee the nal appearance of the castle. Only his son, VclavAntonn, the Count Kaunit z-Rietb erg, the most signicantmember of the whole family line and from 1764 also the impe-rial count, state minister and chancellor of Her Majesty Em-press Maria Theresa, of the Emperors Leopold II, Joseph IIand Francis II, had the credit of the completion of the entirecastle complex. Shortly after he took up the family propertyafter his fathers death, the whole main building, including

the southern wing, was built. The exteriors of the newly builtparts were adapted to Mar tinellis western faade, but insidethe Classicist elements were dominant. Previous profusenessof the stucco and fresco decorations was replaced by linearsegmentation of large areas by ne decorating.

Similarly decorated were the ceilings of the oblong groundoor vestibule, the barrel vault in the corridors of the rstoor of both wings and the ceiling a nd the walls of the north-

ern staircase. In terms of t he spatial layout, maximum atten-tion was paid to the central oval social hall, the illusionarydecoration of which was carried out by the Viennese court

fresco creator, Josef Pichler, in 1767. Count Kaunitz alsonished the modication of the former dining hall to the so-called Ancestors Hall with larger-than-life paintings of hisparent, grandparents and his wife. The last work in the castle

was completed with the painted decoration of the cast lesSt Cross Chapel, also carried out by Pichler in 1769.

H ISTORY OF TH E CASTLE

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Hi sto ri cal H all

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Castle interiorsAt present, almost the entire rst oor of Slavkov cast le is

accessible to the public. It is comprised of parts of the once

large Kaunitz gallery, the beginnings of which go back to the

rst half of the 17 th century. The biggest expansion of the fami-ly painting gallery happened in the second half of the 18th cen-

tury under Vclav Antonn of Kaunitz. The gallery contained

not only copies but also the originals of the works of famous

European masters. However, as a result of losses, sales and

res, by the end of the 19th century, the collection was reducedto a mere remnant, parts of which, especially the portraits of

the members of the Kaunitz family, are used in the cast le ex-

positions.

The ceilings of the western wing interiors are decorated

with stucc os by Santino Bussi and fresc oes by Andreo Lan-zani. Particularly remarkable is the so-called A ncestors Hall

decorated with a monumental ceiling fresco portraying the

gods on Olympus. The Ancestors Hall is interconnected with

the oval, so-ca lled Historical Hall, which was completed only

in the 1760s with an illusionary decoration by Josef Pichler

and where the armistice between Austria and France was

signed after the battle at Slavkov. What is interesting in this

hall is its acoustics. Its construction was designed so thatduring top political discussions one could not hear what was

being discussed by others even if they were st anding close to

him.

During the tour, the public also has access to the oratory

of the castles St Cross Chapel. The interior of the chapel is

dominated by the altar with monumental statues of angels,

the work of F. X. Messerschmidt from 1774. The chapel prem-

ises are used for wedding ceremonies and concerts.

The parkThe manors park in Slavkov u Brna is one of the most im-portant historic gardens in Moravia and is an integral part ofthe castle premises. The park was built concurrently with theBaroque castle from 1700 by the architect Domenic Martinel-li. The original conception was the Renaissance garden witha ower park and an orangery (casino) decorated with frescosby Andreo Lanza ni. With the contr ibution of the Dutch ex-perts, the garden was planted with imported seeds and bulbs.

Castle of Slavkov - Austerlitzand Napoleon

Slavkov castle is famous not only for its architecture butalso because of its connection with the Battle of Three Emper-ors at Slavkov at the beginning of December 1805.

After the retreat of the all ied forces from Austr ia via Brnoto Olomouc, Slavkov was occupied by the troops of the Frencharmy of the eld marshal Soult in the middle of November.

A few days later, the French retreated and the town wasoccupied by the allies marching from Olomouc to the decisive

battle.One day before the battle, the opulent Kaunitz residencebecame the seat of the allied Emperors, Francis II andAlexander I.

On 2 December 1805, the allied forces met Napoleon inthe area between Telnice and Tvaron. Napoleon gave thema crushing defeat and fought out his probably most famousand most valued victory that at the same time terminated the

whole militar y campaign for that year.The defeated Austrian Russian troops retreated along

the Hodonn road to Hungary and Napoleon transferred hismain headquarters to Slavkov castle. There, he also gave his

famous order starting with: Soldiers, I am pleased with you.During the following days, the castle became the placeof diplomatic meetings preceding the end of the war.On 4 December, Napoleon met Emperor Francis II at Spalenmln and two days later, the eld marshal Berthier on behalfof France and the Count Liechtenberg on behalf of Austriasigned the armistice agreement in the oval hall of Slavkovcastle. The hall where the armistice was agreed became laterknown as the Historical Hall.

The complex was supplemented with a fountain by Peter Wil-liam and sculptures by Giovanni Guiliani.

The new layout of the garden from 1774 basically took overthe segmentation of the large park, nevertheless, it changedthe system of water canals in the system of pools. The castleparterre was modied and 30 sculptures by Giovanni Guilianiand Ignacio Lengelacher were added to the upper parterre ofthe park. The renovated garden was re-opened at the occasionof the UNESCO symposium on Baroque gardens in 1977.

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Costume guided tours

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Historical hallsThis tour introduces to the visitors the representative

premises of the castle with r ich fresco and stucco decorations,period furniture and part of the previously famous picturegallery of the Kaunitz family line. It leads through the A nces-tors Hall with portraits of the most signicant owners of thecastle, the Rubenss Hall with copies of Rubenss large-areapaintings and last but not the least through the HistoricalHall which was the place where the armistice af ter the battleat Slavkov was agreed. The tour ends in the St Cross chapel

with unique acoustics for concert performances.

Historical loungesThis tour shall demonstrate to the visitors the living stan-

dard of the nobility from the renaissance era to the 19th cen-tury. It includes, for instance, the Renaissance tapestry, theso-called Flower Lounge, empire Napoleonic Lounge, thelibrary, the so-called Hall of Fashion or the Theatre Hall andother rooms.

Virtual battleIt is a non-traditional conception of the battle at Slavkov

in 1805. In the 30-minute projection using the virtual real -ity, the visitors become familiar with the course of the world-famous battle. The projection has three-dimensional soundand spoken commentary in four languages (Czech, English,

French, Russian and G erman).The scenario is divided into three parts that gradually in-form the audience with the circumstances of the r ise, courseand consequences of the battle that signicantly inuencedthe geopolitical arrangement of the then Europe. The vir-tual battle illustratively and comprehensibly informs of basicimportant moments of this historic event and therefore it isrecommended for educational purposes of schools of varioustypes.

Castle undergroundThe underground tour of Slavkov castle introduces the

unique premises of two oors of the castle cellars, the sys-tem of connecting corridors, stairs, economic background

with a bakery and additional kitchen. You may also visit thetorture room and a stone collection with sculptural artefacts.Undoubtedly, the most interesting part of the undergroundsfor the visitors is the remains of the medieval fortress of theTeutonic Knights Order from the 13th century.

Other thematic exhibitionsSeveral gallery premises are located in the premises of the

castle. During the season t hey are always used for exhibitions

of various art productions. Have a look at the cultural events

calendar and you can always choose. There is a glass artefacts

exhibition, ceramics, owers, paintings, photographs, jewel-lery, graphics, bobbin laces as well as var ious Christmas ex-

positions, wine exhibitions and tasting and many others. Cur-

rent exhibitions are always announced one year ahead on the

website of the cast le.

Park and glasshouses

A guided tour introduces to the visitors the histor y of one of

the most signicant historical gardens in Moravia with inter-esting domestic as well as foreign trees and bushes.

Roof frames

There are occasional guided tours on reconstructed roof

frames, a lecture on their history and the progress of recon-

struction works.

Museum depositories

There are guided tours with expert commentary that in-troduce to the public the otherwise inaccessible premises and

collection funds of the Museum of History in Slavkov u Brna

including various pieces of period furniture.

Costume and programme tours

Several times a year there are thematic tours in the castle

usually during some cultural events. The visitors may then

meet historical persons of noblemen and villeins and let

themselves be part of some historical event during the tour,

both in the myster ious underground or in the cast le interiors.

Flower exhibitionsHistoric premises of the castle and the underground are

an ideal place for ower exhibitions. The most favourite is theower exhibition that is usually held in the midst of May. Ourpriority and uniqueness among other national monuments

who deal with orist ic exhibitions is the diversit y of topicsfrom wedding owers through historic oristry up to modernoristry.

Occasional tours that are alw ays announ ced on the websites of the castle must be booked beforehand.

TOUR S OF TH E CASTLE

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Old-timer festival

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The overall and detailed list of cultural and social events inthe castle is available on the cast le website. Here we offer onlythe list of the most interesting events.

Memento of Austerlitz is an event focused on authorsreading of non-ction, namely of the militar y and war topics.The rst year was in 2005 on the occasion of the 200 th an-niversary of the Three Emperors Battle at Slavkov in 1805.Part of the event is also the literature evening called tenpi svkch (Reading at Candlelight) and a literary and

ne art contest for pupils of primary and secondary schools.Slavkovsk memento is usually held on the last Friday in April.

Garden daysThe oristic trade exhibition Zahradn dny (Garden days)

is held in the external premises of the castle. This typicallyspring event is held in the cast le park and the visitors nd ev-erything they need for t heir gardens, houses or terraces.

Each year, interesting concerts of classical music areheld in the castle. Among them is the gala-concert of the Jo-

hann Strauss Orchestra Die otten Geister Wien Coburg.Further, at least two dramaturgically innovative concerts areheld during the Concentus Moraviae festival with interna-tional part icipation.

The music festival Slavkovranks among the pop musicfestivals and is held every year, the third Saturday in June.The organizers of this festival have in mind families with chil-

dren for whom the castle garden is an ideal place for gamesand activities in a childrens corner or various spor ts activitiesand attractions. There is a r ich offer of various refreshments,stalls and last but not the least t he very pleasant and friendly

atmosphere of the park with the historical building of thecastle in the background. A guarantee of good entertainment.

Oldtimer festivalAs it is the tradit ion, every last Saturday in June, hun-

dreds of visitors come to the castle to see the fading glo-ry of various models of veteran cars and motorcycles.

Some of them come to recall the times when their beloved

model hit the road, some want to have fun and others need

to get the spare parts for their own veteran vehicles. Every

year, more than 600 veteran cars and motorcycles arrive at

the castle premises.

Grand Prix dAusterlitz is one of the biggest interna-

tional ptanque tournaments in the Czech Republic and ac-

tually in the whole of Central Europe. It is usually the last

Saturday in July, the ptanque fans may watch the matchesat a top level.

Festival of Folk and Country Music, is held on a Au-

gust night in the romantic environment of the castle and it

attracts many visitors and audience not only to listen but also

to dance to the music.

The international wine exhibition - Grand Prix

Austerlitz - is a traditional and plentifully attended wine

exhibition where prizes are awarded by an expert jury to the

accompaniment of a traditional dulcimer music band.

The dates of the Napoleonic days are marked by the date

of birth of Napoleon on 15 August 1769. There is a rich sum-

mer holiday programme with an army camp and training of

soldiers in period uniforms, skirmishes and presentations of

military tactics and strategy, traditional handicrafts fair or

castle tours by historical persons together with the Napoleon

and many other.

The month of November belongs to the Hubertuss

Ride and to young St Martins wines in the castle.

Memorial events on the occasion of the celebrations of

the Battle at Slavkov are t raditionally held close to December

2 when the famous battle started in close vicinity in 1805.

In the castle park you may see the camps of the armies who

took part in the battle.

CULTURAL AND SOCIAL EVENTS

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Wedding ceremonie

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Wedding ceremonies in the castle in Slav-

kov u BrnaEvery year, the castle at tracts more and more couples inter-

ested in having their wedding ceremony in its premises. The

advantage of the castle is t he easy accessibility from the ma-

jor Moravian towns of Brno, Olomouc and Zln. The Slavkovcastle offers vast possibilities of how to spend the wedding day

in beautiful historic premises. The castle may be used for the

whole wedding ceremony, wedding feast or only as a beauti ful

environment for your wedding pictures.

Reservations should be made at the Registry Ofce inSlavkov u Brna, phone No:+420 544 121 114.For their wedding, the interested couples may choose some

of the representative halls of the castle the Rubenss Hall,

the Theatre Hall, the Historical Hall or the castle chapel. If

the couple prefers an open-air wedding then there is not a bet-

ter place for such an event than the castle park with the st yl-

ish wedding gazebo. The representative premises of the castle

and its surroundings are also a suitable place for wedding

feasts. There are specic rooms and parts of the castle parkthat serve such purposes, including the splendid Historical

Hall where the armistice was signed after the Three Emper-

ors Battle in 1805.

Our team of dedicated professional employees is ready to

satisfy all requirements of our clients who decide to spend

their unforgettable moments in this unique environment.

Rental of the castle for various company

eventsThe Castle of Slavkov Austerlitz may offer a unique at-

mosphere for holding various social meetings, business meet-

ings, company events, congresses or wedding feasts.

You may use not only the castle interiors but a lso the large

and pleasing (namely during the hot summer months) castle

park. You may rent the Historical hall where history was re-

corded, the Rubenss Hall or the Theatre Hall, or some of the

less formal premises of Salla terrena, portico or the courtyard.

If you plan a bigger event you may also book the whole castleincluding the romantic corners and recesses of the park.

Within the rental we also provide complex ser vices including:

catering services (company bashes, banquets, parties,ceremonial gala evenings and balls;

technicalorganizational part of the event; accompanying programme according to the clients wishes: carriage rides; reworks, light show in a water fountain; performances of historic fencing groups;

demonstrations of period armoury and a shooting range,games and contests for adults;

fashion shows in historical costumes or modern hautecouture;

personal welcome by Napoleon, Count Kaunitz with hiswife;

military staffage from the era of the Napoleonic Wars; costume guided tour of the castle interiors and the un-

derground;

period music;trainings, conferences, congresses and teambuilding

events for employees.

We may also arrange accommodation close to the cast le for

a bigger group of people. The visitors have at their disposal a

whole series of sports equipment from tennis and beach vol-

leyball courts, bowling, squash, ptanque as well as golf. After

a hard day you may have a relaxing massage or take a bath in

the local lido in summer.

Castle restaurant AusterlitzThe castle restaurant Austerlitz is located in the premises

of Slavkov castle. It offers to its guests a pleasant environment

in the Baroque style of the cast le.

The premises of the restaurant are divided into three

lounges of which each has a special decoration and offers asufcient capacity for various events. Part of the restaurant isalso the Wine gallery with domestic as well as foreign wines.

The dominant feature of the restaurant is the cuisine with a

wide choice of various delicacies. A true pearl of the cast le

black kitchen is the metal-mounted gri ll where var ious speci-

alities are being prepared. The st ylish environment is inviting

for pleasant moments with friends or for wedding feasts.

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Dominik Ondej of Kaunit z(1654 - 1705)

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History of the Kaunitz family lineFor more than four centuries, the history of the Slavkov

castle has been intertwined with the ancient Moravian aris-

tocratic family of the Kaunitz who used the symbol of a wa-

ter lily in its heraldry. In 1509, the Slavkov domain and the

castle were obtained by Oldich of Kaunitz who made it hismain seat. The rule of t he Kaunitz family in Slavkov brought

about a great boom of architectural activities, support of the

crafts, foundation of the rst manufacture a nd a general deve-lopment of business and trades.

Later it was Dominik Ondej of Kaunitz who encouragedthe trading and economic development of his domain. He

worked as a diplomat in the Habsburg empire and took active

part in the political life then. He also initiated the majesticBaroque reconstruction of the actual castle.

The most signicant representative of the family line wasVclav Antonn, Count of Kaunit z and Rietberg. His skills

and experience obtained during his studies at universities inVienna and Leiden as well as his frequent travels in Europebrought him to the post of state chancellor serv ing for fourHabsburg Emperors Maria Theresa, Joseph II, Leopold IIand Francis II.

Due to his advantageous marriage policy and diplomatic

skills focused namely on France, he reinforced the inuenceof the Habsburg family line and enlarged many of their terri-

torial possessions. He was awarded the Golden Fleece for his

credits. Count Vclav was buried in the Slavkov family tomb

under the church of St John the Baptist.

One of the last members of the family line was Vclav,Count of Kaunitz. At t he beginning of his professional career

he worked as the member of the Imperial Council and repre-

sented the political interests of the Czech nation. He was also

an important patron of students.

Owners of the Slavkov castleThe Kaunitz family obtained the Slavkov domain with the

castle in 1509 and remained its owners for more than 400 ye-ars.

Oldich +1519Petr +1555

Oldich *1539 +1570Oldich *1569 +1617Lev Vilm *1614 +1655

(founder of the Moravian bran ch of the family)

Dominik Ondej *1654 +1705Maxmilin Oldich *1679 +1746Vclav Antonn *1711 +1794Arno t Kr ytof *1737 +1797Dominik Ondej *1740 +1812Alois Vclav *1774 +1848

Castle passes to t he Czech branch of the family of Kaunitz.

Michal Karel *1803 +1852Albrecht *1829 +1897Vclav *1848 +1913Eugen *1841 +1919

The family tomb of the Kaunitz was built under the sou-thern tower of the chapel by Arnot Krytof in 1795. In thesame year, it served as the last rest ing place for the bodily re-mains of the Chancellor, Count Vclav Antonn of Kaunitz andhis daughter-in-law Marie Leopoldina of Oettingen-Spiel-

berg. Today, there are seven cofns in the tomb with bodilyremains of other members of the family line both from theMoravian and Czech branch of the family.

KAUNITZ FAMILY LINE

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Brno

Olomouc

Mikulov

Wien

Slavkovu Brna

Praha

D1

D1

E461

Information centre

The information centre is located in the close vicinity of thecastle and provides the visitors with topical information onpossibilities of cultural, social or sports activities, accommodati-on and restaurants, trafc connection, ticket booking and advan-ce booking of tickets for various events. It also sells souvenirs.

Information centreCastle of Slavkov AusterlitzPalackho nm. 1684 01 Slavkov u BrnaPhone No: +420 544 220 988e-mail: [email protected]

European Union

European Regional Development Fund

Investing in Your Future

This project was co-financed by the European Unionand the South Moravian Region.

czech republic - castle of slavkov

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