Pernštejn is a medieval castle that served as the seat of the lords of Pernštejn. According to the website of the National Heritage Institute, which administers the castle, it is an exceptionally well-preserved castle. Its late Gothic and early Renaissance form has not been affected by later rebuilding and is a unique example of the transformation of a medieval fortress into a more luxurious Renaissance residence.[1] The castle lies in the South Moravian Region.
Founding and medieval development
The castle was founded between 1270 and 1285 by the lords of Medlov, later known as the Pernštejn family. The oldest part stood at the top of an elongated rocky promontory and was encircled by a curtain wall. Behind it stood a cylindrical tower with a buttressed edge, today known as Barborka. A three-storey palace lay at the southern tip, with the entrance on the south side.[1] In the first half of the 14th century, a second, tower-like palace was built in the northeastern corner of the core, and an outer wall around the core marked off the inner (third) outer bailey.[1]
In the first quarter of the 15th century, Vilém I of Pernštejn began building the outer shell, that is, structures attached to the outside of the wall and the core. In the northwestern corner, through which the only path into the inner castle led, the outer wall was reinforced by the Tower of the Four Seasons, which contained a dungeon and an armoury. The northeastern corner was secured by the Clock Tower. A walled moat surrounded the inner castle and the middle outer bailey, and the entrance was secured by a third gate and a barbican.[1]
Late Gothic period
During the Hussite Wars and under the reign of Jiří z Poděbrad, Pernštejn supported the Hussites. Before 1460, the castle was struck by a major fire. Extensive late Gothic construction was carried out under Jan I of Pernštejn. Before 1470, a fourth gate was added near the Tower of the Four Seasons, as was a tower at the southern end of the promontory. By roughly the middle of the 15th century, the northern and partly western side of the core had been built up, often with oriels. East of the core, above the passage through the Black Gate, a new palace was being built. By the end of the 15th century, the Tower of the Four Seasons had been raised and given oriels, which became a characteristic feature of the late Gothic phase. In the second half of the 15th century, an advanced fortification was built on the first outer bailey.[1]
Intensive construction work continued until the mid-16th century. From the second decade of the 16th century until 1522, the Knights' Hall was created on the upper floor of the old palace, accessible through the Reception Hall, and an entrance hall with a cell vault was built on the ground floor. In the mid-16th century, a fourth storey of the inner castle was under construction but was never completed. This essentially brought the castle's development to a close, and its appearance is predominantly late Gothic.[1]
Sale of the castle
Under the last members of the Pernštejn family, funds for further construction were lacking, and in 1596 Jan of Pernštejn sold the castle.[1] Many rooms remained Gothic, late Gothic, or Renaissance in character.[1]
Tours
According to the castle's website, the layout of the castle palace allows visitors to trace the transformation of the residence, from a simple castle, a late Gothic fortress and a Renaissance palace, to a Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical residence, as well as the Romantic modifications of the 19th century.[1]