Přemysl Castle in Olomouc

Olomouc Castle is a national cultural monument, one of the most important castle grounds in the Czech Republic. The architecture of the Romanesque bishop’s palace with its rich ornamental decoration reminiscent of plastic lace has no parallel in the Czech lands of the 12th century.

The wall paintings belong to the best-preserved monuments of late Gothic and early Renaissance painting in Moravia.

The castle is located on the so-called Wenceslas Hill in the historic center of Olomouc . This place is also a silent witness to the never-explained murder of the last Přemyslovite, Václav III. The first mention of the castle is contained in Kosm’s chronicle from 1055. From 1141, the castle was the seat of Olomouc’s bishops and chapter. During the time of Olomouc bishop Jindřich Zdík, there was an extensive scribal workshop in Olomouc, from which a number of illuminated manuscripts originate. Two perimeter walls with richly decorated group windows and a fragment of a fireplace mantel have been preserved from the original Romanesque bishop’s palace . In the cloister and chapel, an important cycle of wall paintings from the beginning of the 16th century .

In 1306, Wenceslas III was murdered on the site of the former chapter deanery . , the last Přemyslovec on the Czech throne. Wenceslas III decided to campaign in Poland as part of his efforts to maintain the Polish crown . In the summer of 1306 , Olomouc became the starting point of his expedition . On August 4, however, he was murdered in the castle, in the house of the chapter dean Budislav (on today’s Wenceslas Square) . The exact location of the murder is not identifiable due to the series of later reconstructions of the house. Likewise, the motive for the murder was never clarified. An entry in the Olomouc obituary blames a certain Thuringian knight Konrád of Mulhov for regicide, but this claim is uncertain. However, the fact remains that the violent death of Wenceslas III. the Czech royal family of the Přemyslovs died out by the sword and there was a struggle for the Czech crown , which ended with John of Luxembourg ‘s accession to the throne in 1310 .

Operator

Art Museum Olomouc
Denisova 47
771 11 Olomouc
Tel.:+420 585 514 111Tel.:+420 585 230 915

Region:Olomouc region
Region:Central Moravia
City:Olomouc
Tips for a trip:Olomouc and surroundings

Opening hours

January – December

1.1. – 31.12.

Monday CLOSED

Tuesday – Sunday 10:00 – 18:00