Bučovice is located about 14 kilometres (9 mi) south of Vyškov and 26 km (16 mi) east of Brno. It lies on the border between the Litenčice Hills and Ždánice Forest. The highest point is the Radlovec hill at 426 m (1,398 ft) above sea level. The Litava River flows through the town.
The first written mention of Bučovice is from 1322. However, a stone church stood here already in the 13th century. In the late 14th century, it was referred to as a market town with vineyards.[2]
In the 16th century, Bučovice prospered and developed. The owner of the manor Jan Šembera Černohorský of Boskovice had built here one of the most magnificent Renaissance residences in Moravia. The castle was finished by his son-in-law Maximilian of Liechtenstein in the 1630s. During the Thirty Years' War in 1645, Bučovice was looted and damaged by the Swedish troops, but the castle was defended.[2]
In the second half of the 18th and in the first half of the 19th century, Bučovice was one of the most important centres of cloth production in Moravia. The owners of the textile companies of the time belonged to a large Jewish community. In the second half of the 19th century, Bučovice further developed and gained the character of a town. During the 20th century, the most important economic sector in the town became the woodworking industry.[2]
Bučovice is known for the Bučovice Castle. The Renaissance castle was built in the style of Italian villas in 1575–1585. Today it is owned by the state and open to the public.[3] The castle has valuable arcade courtyard with 90 columns, which are decorated with a total of 540 reliefs. In the middle of the courtyard is a Mannerist fountain. The interiors have a rich Mannerist decoration.[7] The castle is protected as a national cultural monument.[8]
An architecturally valuable building is the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It was built in the early Baroque style in 1637–1641. In 1748, the interior was modified by Anton Erhard Martinelli. In 1826–1830, the church was modified and extended in the Neoclassical style.[9]
Czech Republic
Zlaté Moravce, Slovakia
