Kladno - Benedictine Castle

From the 14th century, a Gothic fortress stood on the site of today's Baroque chateau, which served as the main residence of the Kladenský family from Kladno. After the extinction of the Kladno branch of the family in 1543, the fortress was inherited by the Žďár family of Žďár, who rebuilt it into a Renaissance chateau in the mid-sixteenth century.

After the extinction of the Catholic branch of the Žďár family in 1670, the Martinic family from Smečno became the owners in 1686, followed by the Lamberk family. In 1701, the indebted Lamberks sold the Kladno estate to Anna Maria of Tuscany, born in Engru and Westphalia. She kept it for four years and in 1705 sold it to the Benedictine monastery of Brevnov. Kladno remained in the possession of the monastery until the abolition of serfdom.

When the abbot of Brevnovo-Broum took over the Kladno estate in 1705, some parts of the castle were in danger of collapse. Abbot Otmar Daniel Zinke therefore proceeded to its reconstruction and Baroque reconstruction, during which the fortifications and the adjacent ash yard were destroyed.

The architect Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer designed the new form of the castle, which had to give way to the south wing with its cylindrical tower.

The exterior alterations were largely completed in 1740 under Abbot Benno Löbl and continued with interior work, during which the corridors and the Chapel of St. Lawrence were decorated with frescoes by Karel Kovář and sculptures by Karel Josef Hierll. The whole reconstruction was completed with the construction of a clock tower on the roof of the transept.

The chateau served mainly as the seat of the administration of the estate, but the Benedictine abbots also used it for occasional summer stays.

The frescoes and other elements of the interior decoration, with the exception of the chapel, were lost during the 19th and 20th century renovations. Only a pair of Baroque stoves from the 1840s have survived.

After the abolition of serfdom, the chateau continued to house the administration of the estate until 1933, when the building was bought by the town of Kladno and used as a library, archive and museum.

The chateau is currently used mainly for cultural purposes.

The chateau chapel and garden are used for wedding ceremonies and the building houses the Kladno Chateau Gallery and a branch of the Municipal Library. Classical music concerts, lectures and art and creative workshops for children are held here. The garden has been part of the beararium since 2001.

In 1974, a model of a mining workplace with examples of mining techniques used in Kladno was set up in the cellar.