- CESKÝ KRUMLOV Part 5 -

Castle and Grounds (2)

LINKS to other pages in the Ceský Krumlov site and to the Colin Day Travelling Days series:

The Cloak Bridge spans a steep gorge and leads to the Castle Theatre and eventually to the castle gardens through a connecting corridor.

The castle area is one of the largest in central Europe. It comprises a complex of forty buildings and palaces, situated around five castle courts and a castle park spanning an area of seven hectares. The earliest known name of the park was the 'New Garden' (in German 'Neue Garten' ) contrary to the older Renaissance garden in Nové mesto. Later it had the name of 'New Princely Garden', then the French name of 'Jardin du Prince de Schwarzenberg'. The park is laid out in the form of a rectangle measuring 150 x 750 metres. The total area is 10.875 hectares.

The construction of the cascade fountain in the castle garden began in 1750 based on a design by the Viennese architect, Andreas Altomonte, with the idea of transforming the castle gardens into a Viennese rococo style.

The stone work was made from shell limestone brought from Eggenburg in Lower Austria by sculptor Matyás Griesslern with the help and supervision of the sculptor, Jan Antonín Zinner. In the original concept four levels were created, consisting of decorative vases and a dominant group of three statues of the Water Deity. The water for the fountain was brought by a wooden pipe from a pond in the upper castle.

Between 1765 and 1766 Matyas Griesslern built stairways on the slope along both sides of the cascade. He also created four sculptural groups representing the seasons along the path from the upper to the lower part of the garden.

Over subsequent years the fountain suffered extensive damage and deterioration through neglect. Extensive reconstruction took place in 1996 to bring it back to its former magnificence.

The Riding School is situated in one corner of the gardens It was built between 1744 and 1746. The generally simple building is decorated above the entrances and on the eastern face with ornamental plastering by the sculptor Jan Antonín Zinner, a graduate of the Viennese academy. Some details are the work of the Viennese plasterer Matyás André.

The decorative motives of the supraports and the gable are taken from contemporary military relics such as standards,lances and various trophies which 'add a character of triumph to the otherwise very playful and even comical stucco decoration'.

Near to the Riding School is the corridor from the castle into the gardens (right and below). It is constructed in the same style as the Cloak Bridge.

On the next page we take a last look at Ceskÿ Crumlov and return to our base at Weyrigg.