592 62 Nedvedice, tel. 0505/566101
On the very beginning of the 13th century obtained Stepan from Medlov, a man from the near surroundings of a Moravian margrave Vladislav Jindrich and his brother, Czech king Premysl Otakar I., partly by a donation and partly by an exchange a territory on the upper stream of the river Svratka. Shortly before his death, about year 1230, founded Stepan a nunnery of order St. Augustine in Doubravnik and his son Vojtech became there the first provost. Stepan'n descendants, using a heraldy of bison head, built on their domain before the end of the 13th century a few massive castles, not away one another. Is concerned Zubstejn, Auersperk, Pysolec and Pernstejn which became the main family place. Except of Zubstein whose beginnings are not quite unmistakable, were other castles of the clan, which has divaricated very shortly, based on the typical bergfrit disposition with dominant cylinder tower, palace and circular fortification. At the same time with the bulding of the castle moved a colonization of the highland's forest. Some of the colonies were named after the first citizens of the clan: Stepanov, Jimramov, Vojtechov.
In the 14th century the prestige of the clan of the Lords from Pernstejn fell down, a few stems shared the castle and the domain. The clan sublimated Vilem I. from Pernstejn living somewhere in the years 1380-1430 (exact data of his life are not known). He was a retainer of the margrave Jost who gained skilfully lost lands and new ones joined often ruthlessly. He supported a robber suite composed partly from his own servants and on the beginning of the 20's of the 15th century acted even as a Moravian country hetman.
His son Jan from Pernstejn belonged among prominent Hussite aristocrats and warriors. His marriage with Bohunka from Lomnice allowed him to enlarge his clan domain. The most pronounced personality of the Pernstejn's clan became without questions Jan's son Vilem II. (somewhere 1435-1521), which is regarded as an initiator of the aristocrat undertaking and as a very skilfull politician who on duty of Matyas Korvinus and later Vladislav Jagellosky and his son Ludvik proved positively influence by decades Czech and Moravian society. Mr Palacky think this religiously tolerating man as a one of the most significant personalities of the Czech history comparable with the imperator Charles IV. Vilem II. handed over his inheritors a large domain. Except of Pernstejn's domain included also Helfstejn, Prerov, Hranice, Kojetin, Tovacov, Kunstat, Zidlochovice, Pardubice and Potstejn domain. He forebore to live on Pernstejn and dwelled for choice in Pardubice.
In the 15th century came to a large build activity on the castle which answered to a circumstance in warfare, especially to a development of the gunnery. The Gothic bergfrit with the edge called Barborka was gradually built up with the palace buildings, there were also built a prismatic tower connected by two wooden gantries with the palace, another gates and especially the outside fortification strengthened on the corners with cylinder towers. In the end of this late Gothic reconstruction was constructed also forward fortification.
The castle Pernstejn became the grandiose late Gothic fortress typical with plantiful use of local Nedvedice's marble for architecture pixels. Next centuries brought only brush-fire treatments, so that the castle looks today almost authentic and original.
In the 16th century however expected the Lords of Pernstejn remediler breakdown and the semifinal member of the clan Jan was obliged to realize for debts the castle with the domain to Pavel Kataryn from Katar in the 1596. After Kataryn held the castle from 1604 an imperator colonel Adam Lev Licek from Ryzmburk and his widow Ester Zejdlicova from Senfeld brought the castle in 1622 to her second husband Krystof Pavel from Lichtenstejn-Kastelkorn. At the time of his ownership, in the spring months of 1645 resisted the castle the garrison leaded by brave hetman Mikulas Fleischinger from Auersbach against the Swedish siege and in addition proved to supply by the powder Brno also besieged by the Swedish regiment. Fleschinger's working is connected also with the resurgened viewer activity (which began indeed in the 13th century already) and with the smelting on the domain. From local workshops came out products especially for military purposes.
After Lichtenstejns' owned the castle in the years 1710-1793 the Stockhammers', after them the Schroeffels' from Mansberk and since 1818 till 1945 the Mitrovskis' from Nemysl. Since 1945 is the castle in the ownership of the Czech state. The castle is ordered through the "Pamatkovy ustav" in Brno.
Pernstejn is often called as a "pearl of the Moravian castle architecture", represents a unique example of the late Gothic resident and fortified building. Except of the pixel of fortification system is for remark the entrance hall with a diamond vault, spacious knightly hall, blach kitchen, narrow passage in the palace inscribed in the 16th century with moralized and as well as vulgar lettering by the members of the castle garrison, baroque chapel decorated with the painting from F. I. Eckenstein and embossed rendering of a man with a bison on the prismatic tower - plastic evocation of the Pernstejn's heraldy legend telling about collier Vojtech who suppled the bison and obtained from the ruler this heraldy and also a domain. There is also preserved a library with about 6188 captions on the castle, a collection of engravings, an arsenal with arms reminiscent of times when the castle was the land fortress (since 80's of 17th century), furthermore plunder pieces from the wars with Ottomen and personal arms of the late aristocrat owners - the Mitrovskis'.
Admission:
Adult: 40,- KCZ
Children: 5,-KCZ
Students: 20,- KCZ
Open hours:
April 9-15
May, June & September 9-16
July & August 9-17
October 9-15