Kratochvíle Chateau
Mapping the grounds of the chateau’s game reserve in the 15th century.
The assignment was to re-create a 15th century map of the game reserve surrounding the chateau. As a foundation for this work we’ve used a 19th century map — likely the only map of such extent in existence.
The second reliable source were local lore-keepers and ancestors of those who still remember the House of Schwarzenberg.
This one piece of work is of the most dearest to my humble existence. Ever since I was a kid I loved castles and chateau’s from both medieval times as well as European renaissance. Having a local warden from Kratochvíle reach out to me, it was a part of my dream come true.
19th Century Map of The Game Reserve
You can click on the map to zoom in a little.
Finished Map
Roughly 100 hours and about zillion cups of coffee later, this is what turned out as a result. I am happy to say that not only this will be a digital guide but the main purpose of the finished map will be displayed at Kratochvíle come June 2025. It’s meant to serve as a basis for exploration of chateau’s game reserve and will be a part of an expo at its grounds.
Should you find yourself around Kratochvíle, make sure to pop by for a visit.
Current warden Petr Smid set out on a path to explore the history and borders of the hunting grounds and trace it back more than 500 years with the help of locals whose predecessors still remember the lore of the places now almost forgotten.
It’s a long shot…
… but there once existed a painting of the Renaissance chateau Kratochvíle—an artwork that was stolen by Swedish forces during the Thirty Years' War and transported to Scandinavia amidst widespread looting. Today, efforts are underway to track it down.
The painting dates back to the late 16th century, during the time when Petr Vok of Rozmberk sold the Kratochvíle estate to Emperor Rudolf II of Habsburg in an attempt to settle his mounting debts. Though the emperor never visited Kratochvíle, he had it painted. This painting would be the only accurate interpretation of Kratochvíle of that time.