Kroměříž has been owned by bishops of Olomouc, later archbishops, since the first quarter of the 12th century. At the same time, with their appointment as an important ecclesiastical dignitary, they also obtained a high aristocratic title – prince. They used the Kroměříž chateau and gardens mainly as a summer residence to present their aristocratic status. They indulged in their hobbies and rest here. Bishop Charles of Lichtenstein-Castelcorn (1624 – 1695) made a significant contribution to history, having a magnificent, early Baroque princely residence built in the second half of the 17th century in a city ravaged by the Thirty Years’ War and the destruction of the original Gothic-Renaissance palace by Swedish troops. To this day, it represents the social, political and cultural significance of the Olomouc archdiocese. The Italian concept was imprinted by the architects of the Viennese imperial court, Filiberto Lucchese and Giovanni Pietro Tencalla.
Dozens of halls with historical furniture, tens of thousands of volumes of the chateau library, works of the music archive and unique treasures of the picture gallery are among the most important you will find in the Czech Republic.
You can admire the beauty associated with the stories and events of individual rooms and halls, such as the Manx Hall, the Tsar’s Room, the Rose Salon, the Counseling Hall, the Throne Hall or the Hunting Hall. There are almost 40 of them. The largest of them, and probably also the most beautiful Rococo hall in the Czech Republic, is the Chamber Hall. Today’s name was given in the turbulent year of 1848, when a session of the constitutional Austrian Reichstag was transferred from Vienna to Kroměříž for several months. The chateau library is one of the most valuable historical book collections in the Czech Republic. You will find 90,000 volumes in it (about a thousand come from the 16th century and 20,000 are dated to 1800). Equally interesting is the collection of manuscripts, the oldest of which dates from the early 9th century, and unique is the collection of musical manuscripts, which includes, for example, works by PJ Vejvanovsky, A. Poglietti, J. Haydn, WA Mozart or L. van Beethoven. The interiors of the library are equipped with richly gilded Baroque wooden cabinets from the 18th century. The inventory is complemented by a carved balustrade and four historical globes, which are probably a gift from King Louis XIV of France. The entrance to the chateau from the Podzámecká Garden – Sala terrena – is decorated with statues of fauna, rich stucco and two artificial, bizarre caves, where, for example, you will find a depiction of ore mining on bishop’s estates.
Routes and buildings of the Archbishop’s Castle:
The representation halls offerrepresentative interiors of the first and second floors, the tour also includes the largest castle hall – the Chamber Hall, a private suite of the Olomouc archbishops and both castle libraries. The route is accessible only with a guide, duration about 90 minutes.
The chateau picture gallery of Kroměříž chateau is the second most important gallery in the Czech Republic, in the collection of Central European paintings of the 15th-18th centuries the visitor will see 85 originals (Titian, van Dyck, L. Cranach senior) . P accessible in guided separately, duration of about 60 minutes.
Sala terrena is located under the eastern wing of the castle as a unique connection of the residence with the Podzámecká garden, it consists of three halls and 2 grott. It is accessible with a guide , duration about 30 minutes The castle tower offers a unique view of the historic center of Kroměříž and the surrounding area from the 84 m high landmarks of the castle. It is accessible separately, without a guide, the ascent takes about 30 minutes (206 steps).
ATTRACTION:
The attractive beauty of the castle’s interiors and exteriors is used by the organizers of concerts, congresses and film crews. A number of well-known films were shot directly at the chateau, the most famous of which is probably the Oscar-winning Amadeus (1984) directed by Miloš Forman. The film received 13 Oscar nominations, of which 8 were turned into a golden statuette, including directing. The film featured the Hunting Hall, the Throne Hall, the Chamber of Deputies, the Manx Hall and the Sala terrena.
Sala terrena was also one of the central scenes of the film The Ear . The dramatic story of a married couple (Radoslav Brzobohatý and Jiřina Bohdalová) directed by Karel Kachyna from 1970 was not released for distribution at all, the Communists immediately sent it to the vault. The premiere took place in 1990.
Shots of the British-American film Immortal Love with Gary Oldman starring were filmed in the House . The silver bridge in the Podzámecká Garden appears in one of the parts of the Chetnické humoresek, as well as the chateau and many places in the town. The film adaptation of Evžen Onegin with Michal Dočolomanský and Magda Vášáryová in the lead roles was shot at the chateau in 1988. In 1991, the famous director Juraj Herz shot the film The Frog Prince with Linda Rybová and Michal Dlouhý at the chateau . Other successful films include the Slovak drama Cinka Panna about the famous gypsy primate of the same name from the 18th century by director Dušan Rapoš or the fairy tale Hell with a princess by director Miloslav Šmídmajer.(Taken from the publication: Film and Television Book by S&D, 2008)
