Baroque Reconstructions of Český Krumlov Castle

In the spring of 1602, when Petr Wok von Rosenberg was definitely abandoning the Český Krumlov Castle which he sold to Rudolf II. von Habsburg the previous autumn, he took most of the castle\'s valuable furnishings with him. Although the place was not completely emptied, the preserved castle inventories give evidence that not much furniture was left over. The new owners, the Habsburgs, naturally did not stay in Český Krumlov permanently. Only Rudolf\'s illegitimate son Julius de Austria had his seat in the castle for about four years. In the first twenty years of the 17th century no significant building activities were carried out.

However, this statement does not refer to the whole castle complex. It was because of the outbreak of the Uprising of the Estates followed by the Thirty Years War that the prompt construction of massive ramparts as well as walls near the castle buildings were started. Fortifications were to protect the imperial garrison against possible attacks of the troops of the Estate. In the course of 1618-1619, the construction of blockhouses and ramparts was carried out in the Ist courtyard, behind the Upper Castle and behind the Cloak Bridge. During the building activities of the 18th century the ramparts and the walls around the Jacket Bridge area were lowered or pulled down. The ramparts and walls near the Ist courtyard still stand and as a period seal bear the coat-of-arms of the imperial garrison adjutant Ferdinand Carrati de Carrara. In connection with construction of the defence system, the well, no longer preserved, which was located in the so-called Vaclav\'s cellars of the Upper Castle was cleaned and a new well in the Ist courtyard near the former castle brewery in Rejdiště (Romping ground) was founded.

At the end of 1622, the Český Krumlov dominion with all its conveniences became the property of Johann Ulrich von Eggenberg and remained in the Eggenbergs\' possesion for three generations. Neither Johann Ulrich von Eggenberg nor his son Johann Anton I. von Eggenberg stayed frequenly at the castle or took enough interest in it to change or modify its appearance according to the period\'s requirements. The Eggenberg and Brandenburg-Hohenzoller escutcheons from the year 1646 placed above the entrance gate leading into the IInd courtyard and above the entrance in the Corridor Connecting the IInd and IIIrd Courtyards of Český Krumlov Castle are reminiscent of the rule of Johann Anton I. von Eggenberg and his wife Anna Maria von Brandenburg.

It was not until 1664, when Johann Christian I. von Eggenberg took over the property, that the Český Krumlov Castle became the Eggenbergs\' residence. Though building activities were carried out in the 1670\'s, it concerned only partial adaptations, reconstructions, and changes in usage of the rooms. The far-reaching constructions which not only modified many interiors but also to a certain extent remodelled the castle silhouette were carried out in 1680\'s. At the end of 1682, Johann Christian von Eggenberg made a contract with the builder Jakub Anton de Maggi to carry out the construction work in the Upper Castle. Jakub Maggi was the court builder of Johann Adolf I. zu Schwarzenberg and his son and successor Ferdinand. As Johann Christian I. von Eggenberg married Marie Ernestine von Eggenberg, neé zu Schwarzenberg, de Maggi was most probably regarded as a builder to a more extended family. From Hluboká nad Vltavou, where he lived, he visited Třeboň to oversee the condition of buildings and Český Krumlov to supervise construction work.

The extensive adaptation which included the entire southern part of the Upper Castle is possible to date accurately and easy to follow. The building activities supervised by de Maggi started at the end of 1682 and continued until 1687. In the first destructive stage the massive square tower built in Gothic style near the IVth courtyard was taken down to the level of the second floor of nearby buildings, although the lower part of the spiral staircase remained. The spiral staircase in the southwest corner of the IIIrd courtyard, the Pelican room and two rooms on the first floor near the castle chapel, as well as one of the Imperial chambers with a room near the chapel oratory on the second floor fell victim to the second destructive stage.

A new wide staircase, in use up to the present time, was built where the demolished spiral staircase, Pelican room and Imperial chamber had been. The ground floor was altered as well. The entrance hall in front of the staircase replaced the former "small bath" and in place of the door leading into it was a new vaulted entrance gate, 11 and a quarter feet high and 6 feet wide (356 cm and 190 cm) was erected. To the right side of the new entrance hall stood the Eggenberg mint, in which the original entrance from the "small bath" was bricked up. With respect to such alterations a new entrance into the mint had to be built and a new staircase added. The vaulted premises of the former Eggenberg mint, which was used from 1688, presently accommodate the depository of the castle textiles.

The new staircase on the first floor level enabled access into the corridor with the coats-of-arms of the former Heraldic room as well as into the so-called former Princess\' chambers, later the dining room for higher princely officials. On the second floor the staircase led into the living rooms which the Princess Marie Ernestine von Eggenberg chose as her chambers. In the 1680\'s her chambers, today\'s Schwarzenberg Baroque Suite, became the subject of far-reaching reconstruction. The rooms were elevated, the old plaster with remains of paintings ("the room where four evangelists were painted") was completely removed and replaced with new plaster in the part under the ceiling and with parget on the ceiling. The first chamber of the Baroque suite, the antechamber, rose from the former Renaissance second Imperial room. The next dining room boasted a new balcony lined with stone-panels which had a balustrade decorated with 16 stone columns. The present-day baldachin room was at the time of Marie Ernestine called the Green room, reflecting the interior colour.

Extensive adaptations were also carried out near the Princess\' bedroom. In the western wing of the back courtyard, the former "attic above the Green room", a spacious room serving partly as a storage place and partly as a granary, was partitioned lengthwise. As a result, a completely new Castle Gallery appeared on the side towards the castle park. Several rooms were established on the side towards the courtyard to become a part of the Princess\' chambers. In the direction of the former attic a small private chapel was added to Princess\' bedroom. To avoid disturbing the privacy of the Princess\' bedroom by chamber-maids and servants passing through, a small balcony which enabled the outside passage from the Princess\' chambers to today\'s baldachin room was built in the southwest corner of the courtyard. While the balcony still stands, the door leading into the baldachin room has been bricked up.

It was not until the 1690\'s that the second floor of the northern wing near the IVth Courtyard of Český Krumlov Castle was rebuilt. The purpose of the reconstruction was to level out the height of this wing to match the southern and western wings. The three heightened and remodelled rooms then became a part of the Princess\' chambers.

The St.George\'s Castle Chapel also became involved in adaptations. On the second-floor level an outside wooden corridor was built which led from the modified window in the corner of the corridor located in front of the former Rosenberg Princess\' chambers into the adapted corridor\'s window in front the oratory. While fitting beams of the corridor into the outer walls, its paintings were damaged, and the corridor served its purpose for only about sixty years. At the turn of 1650\'s and 1660\'s the castle chapel acquired a new Baroque high altar.

The northern and eastern wings of the IIIrd Courtyard of Český Krumlov Castle were spared reconstruction at that time. The Rosenberg Heraldic room situated in the northern wing was remodelled and converted into the Hall of Mirrors. The chambers of the last Rosenbergs and their wives in the eastern wing remained intact.

In the 1680\'s, building activities included not only the actual Eggenberg living section of the Upper Castle but other parts as well. To the west, in a place called the Cloak area, the first Castle Theatre in Český Krumlov was set up. Its foundations were laid most likely on the part of the bastion dated from 1618-1619 and added to previous fortifications. Partly stone and partly wooden temple of Thalie and the castle walked through through the wooden Connecting Corridor which led from the Deer Hall, today\'s Masquerade Hall. In 1706, another corridor which began in the new castle gallery and behind the theatre passed into the Castle Gardens in Český Krumlov was built above this connecting corridor. At the very beginning of the 1690\'s, the Summer Manor Bellarie was built on the premises of the castle garden, its interiors decorated by plasterer Michael Bianco. Apart from other ceiling decorations, the Prince\'s and Princess\' names are most likely represented by the initials ME and IC (Marie Ernestine and Johann Christian), similar to those that the baldachin room is adorned with.

The building of the Mint (Castle No. 59 - Mint) was set up on the southern part of the IInd courtyard over the Vltava river. The construction of the Mint began as early as the 1680\'s and was entrusted to Jakub de Maggi, and finally completed after the year 1700. However, it never served its original purpose, as an imperial law forbidding coinage was issued in 1702. At that time, Johann Christian I. von Eggenberg minted only groschens (three-kreutzers) which fell into the coin category. When completed, the Eggenberg mint, or rather the would-be mint, covered only the ground floor, meaning the ground floor on the courtyard side. Over the river there were and still are two underground floors.

After the death of Marie Ernestine von Eggenberg in 1719, Český Krumlov and other Czech estates belonging to the Eggenbergs became the property of the Schwarzenbergs. The first owner of the Český Krumlov Castle was Adam Franz zu Schwarzenberg. Not many of his intentions and attempts to adorn and turn the castle into a pleasant residence were put into effect. The adaptation of the suite of Princess Eleonora Amálie zu Schwarzenberg, who settled in Marie Ernestine\'s former chambers, and the suite of Prince Adam Franz zu Schwarzenberg, on the second floor in the northern wing of the back courtyard, was entrusted to architect Pavel Ignác Bayer. In accordance to hid lord\'s wishes he focused on the replacement of stoves and fireplaces in the Prince\'s and Princess\' living rooms. Some of the stove designs made in his own hand have been preserved. In the 1720\'s, several window and door openings in the above mentioned rooms were remodelled under Bayer\'s supervision.

Shortly after acquiring the property, Adam Franz zu Schwarzenberg had his Schwarzenberg Guard moved from Hluboká nad Vltavou to Český Krumlov. They took up their dwelling in the Eggenberg mint, the rooms of which had to be adapted to serve their new purpose. After the great fire in 1728, the building was reconstructed and one storey added according to designs by architect Martinelli.

Next building activities were broken off by the tragic death of Adam Franz zu Schwarzenberg in 1732 (see Imperial Hunt). Later on, his son Joseph Adam zu Schwarzenberg. continued carrying out the construction work. Adaptations made under the rule of Joseph Adam in the Český Krumlov Castle cannot be classified as pure Baroque, as they are interwoven with the commencing elements of Rococo.

The first extensive building activity carried out under the rule of Prince Joseph Adam resulted in the foundation of a new winter riding hall (Castle No. 178 - Castle Riding School) at the foot of the castle park. Its appearance is the result of the work of several masters. František Fortini, who signed himself as Fortin, was the builder, while a few architectural and stone designs were made according to plans by Andreas Altomonte. Stone-cutting as well as sculptural decorations were the work of Jan Antonín Zinner. The construction of the riding hall lasted from 1743 to 1746. From 1748, the walls of the riding hall were decorated with equestrian portraits of Joseph Adam zu Schwarzenberg and his wife Marie Terezie von Lichtenstein, the work of painters Martin Meytens (figures) and Jan Křtitel Canton (horses).

In front of the entrance on the bridge over the bear moat stood the gate. Its appearance as well as location were a thorn in the side of Adam Franz zu Schwarzenberg, but as he was not able to change anything in this respect, it was Joseph Adam zu Schwarzenberg who had the gate demolished in 1743. Afterwards, the enlarged access to the bridge was remodelled and decorated with terracotta escutcheons bearing the coats-of-arms of Joseph Adam zu Schwarzenberg and his wife Marie Terezie von Lichtenstein. The bridge over the bear moat was at that time still made of wood. Between the years 1756-1760 a new stone bridge was laid in its place.

At the beginning of the 1740\'s, extensive reconstructions of castle living sections were carried out. Joseph Adam zu Schwarzenberg most probably came to the conclusion that a large hall (Deer Hall) would be sufficient for special occasions. The hall derived its name from several dozens of antlers hanging on the walls as decoration. The conversion of the former Rosenberg Green room into the Deer Hall had taken place during the rule of the Eggenbergs. In 1747, the Deer Hall was remodelled and in 1748, adorned with paintings by Josef Lederer. The hall received the name of Masquerade Hall because of the theatre motifs which this little-known master used in his work. In a place of bricked up door which led into the Prince\'s chambers there is now a large mirror and 13 long narrow and 13 small round mirrors hanging elsewhere on the walls.

At the same time (in the course of 1747-1748) of the Mirror Hall, the former Rosenberg Heraldic room, situated in the northern wing of the front courtyard in the Upper Castle was completely re-built on the Prince\'s orders. This hall, 22 metres high and only 9 metres wide, was divided into two storeys where several living rooms for higher princely officials were set up.

The lack of private rooms for the members of the large princely family led at the end of 1740\'s to the construction of a mezzanine accommodating six rooms available to princely daughters between the first and second floor in the southern wing of the back courtyard. Some of the original decorations have been preserved to the present day.

In 1750\'s, building activities were concentrated on the castle park. In the central part of the park the Cascade Fountain sumptuously decorated with sculptures was set up. The promenade in this area boasted a decorative wall with a row of stone vases. All of this was the work of sculptor Matyáš Griesler who worked according to plans by Andreas Altomonte. The Summer Manor Bellarie was remodelled in Rococo style at the same time, and its interiors were adorned by painter František Jakub Prokyš.

The late Baroque house situated in the Vth Courtyard of Český Krumlov Castle nearby the castle theatre was adapted in the early 1750\'s. On the ground floor of this spacious house there was an old Renaissance structure and new stables for riding horses whereas on the first floor there were two new flats. (Castle No. 177 - the so-called Renaissance House).

In the 1750\'s, the small sanctus tower was completely re-built in a different place. The castle\'s large St.George\'s Chapel lost its Gothic vault while the small adjoining chapel retained the vault to the present time. The passage between chapels was bricked up and in the wall opposite the presbytery of St.George\'s Chapel a new entrance and staircase was made which levelled out the difference in elevation between the chapel floor and the main landing. As the chapel\'s floor was lowered by 2 feet (63,2 cm), the bedrock had to be removed, and the adjacent oratories were re-built as well. The Eggenberg wooden courtyard gallery that created the passage between the second storey of the eastern wing and the oratory was removed and replaced with a small inner corridor. A small Gothic chapel that had been used as a sacristy since the rule of Wilhelm von Rosenberg no longer served its purpose, and a new sacristy was set up inside the corridor next to the large chapel where it remained till the second half of the 20th century. The walls and ceiling of the castle chapel were adorned with artificial marble (pargeting), the work of Viennese Master Matyáš André. He also created the new high altar with the plaster figure of St. George on horseback.

The last building activities during the rule of Joseph Adam zu Schwarzenberg were carried out in connection with his attempt to present the greatness of the Český Krumlov Castle residence during the wedding of the hereditary Prince Johann Nepomuk zu Schwarzenberg. In the mid 1760\'s, the castle theatre was re-built bearing the hallmarks of Rococo style. The hall situated on the second floor in the northern wing of the back courtyard of the Upper Castle was used for smaller number of guests. The hall once named the Rosenberg palace, later the Eggenberg Golden Hall, was remodelled and turned into the new Mirror Hall (History of the Mirror Hall). The walls were adorned with paintings in Rococo style by Viennese court painters Loe Märkl and Hans Wetschl who had shortly before decorated the walls, coulisses and curtains in the castle theatre. To unify the appearance of the western part of the Český Krumlov Castle with the building of the newly adapted castle theatre in the Vth courtyard, the Cloak Bridge had to be re-built. The appearance of the Český Krumlov Castle dated from the second half of the 18th century remains until the present day.

(ak)