Castles of the Czech Republic: Castle Hluboka (part four)

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Life in the castle

In previous articles we met history Hluboka Castle, its architecture, beautiful interior design and even some of the individuals who lived in it. However, isn't it interesting to continue acquaintance with him and find out, and how did people live in it, say, at the end of the same XIX century? In the castles of medieval life was hard and without amenities. The King of France in the years of the Hundred Years War, having established the Order of the Star, was forced to put servants at the exit from the festive hall, who shouted after leaving: “The King does not want to urinate on the stairs!” And it is unlikely that Maurice Dryune, who described this scene in his novel “ Damned kings, sinned against the truth. There are many miniatures of the time, the roughness of the mores of the time confirming. Although, on the other hand, not everything was “so bad.” For example, with respect to the same clean. King John Landless, for example, took a hot bath every week that cost the treasury the cost of the daily wage of an English artisan. And in 1776, the New England estates (it’s not really locks, but still interesting) were demanded from the servants to wash twice a year, and they washed in the space provided for them in the troughs, where they drained water from the first floor to the third buckets. That is, it seems that quite recently people were quite ... "wild." But now, directly on the eve of the twentieth century, much has begun to change. Including, as we have already seen, in the castles of Europe, where our own telegraph, hot air heating and other amenities appeared in the Hluboka castle.



Castles of the Czech Republic: Castle Hluboka (part four)

Old and new: the castle is deep amid the cooling towers of the Temelin nuclear power plant. The cooling towers of the nuclear power plant are visible for 30 km, and a pair of columns of them - for 70!

However, alas, for the most part of the year, all these luxurious apartments were empty, and the kitchen worked for only a few servants who were watching the castle. The fact is that the Schwarzenbergs never lived in their castles all year round! For Christmas, the prince and his family went to the Třebo castle, from which he left for Vienna in January, where the high society season began with balls and receptions. Only in mid-May, tired of the bustle of the court, the princely family left Vienna and went to the castle to rest.


Coat of arms of the Schwarzenberg family in 1792 year.


Well, and the head of the Turk in the castle can be seen in various places ...

The family was large, and each of its members rested according to their own discretion and interests. And the place was different for everyone, so sometimes family members did not see each other for a long time, although they lived nearby. We lived in a castle in Libyejovice or in the Red Dvor near Cesky Krumlov, where a tennis court was equipped at the beginning of the 20th century. But when autumn came, in the Hluboka castle, surrounded by forests, relatives, friends and invited guests came to hunt for the beast that had eaten over the summer.


And this is a gargoyle. And what a romantic castle can do without them? You will build your own - it is easiest to get acquainted with exhibition samples in the exposition of the Museum of the Castle of Carcassonne, in the south of France, where they can be easily measured from all sides.

Prince Jan-Adolf II, above all, was keen on hunting and horse riding (well, what to do if he was so brought up and found pleasure in killing defenseless animals), while his brother Felix loved to fish, but the youngest brother Frederick, who later became Cardinal, he loved to climb the mountains, that is, to engage in mountaineering. Each lady also had their hobbies. For example, Princess Paulina, the wife of Prince Joseph, from early childhood showed herself in the visual arts and graphics, but Princess Theresa loved to embroider, which for women of her circle was considered very worthy.


Probably most of all in the interiors of the castle visitors are amazed by carved wooden ceilings. In other castles, they are painted, coffered and painted, and here in most rooms there is one continuous carving.

In Hlubok, the Schwarzenberg family spent all of “Indian Summer” in September, and in early October there was a big hunt, which attracted many guests. In 1878, the Archduke Rudolph came to Hluboku with his sister Gisela and her husband Prince Leopold of Bavaria, who came here again in 1882. It was customary that noble visitors signed in the hunting book of the castle, which is still preserved. Therefore, today we know that on one of the hunts there were, in addition to family members, six pairs of princely families, six pairs of count and more than two dozen other high-ranking persons. They could hunt for a whole week, from six to seven days. From the records it is known that only one such hunt by its participants produced 204 large wild animals, 2107 hares, 101 pheasant, 959 partridges, 6 rabbits, 17 raven (for fun, of course!), And several other owls and many other game birds - total 95 pieces. The hunt solemnly began near the castle itself, where, at its end, the service personnel brought hunting game. The most attractive trophy specimens dissected and attached to them signs indicating when and by whom this beast was obtained. So, walking around the chambers of the castle, we can easily find out which of its inhabitants or guests owns this trophy.


And the walls of the rooms are decorated with painted faience plates of the XVII – XVIII centuries, produced by the famous Delft manufactories.


Reading room with Delft plates on the walls.

In addition to the gentlemen, at that time between twenty and thirty permanent servants lived in the castle. But for large-scale hunting festivities or, for example, for the golden wedding of Prince Adolf-Joseph and his wife Princess Ida from the surrounding inhabitants, they recruited additional staff of up to 200 people. In addition to the hunters and beaters, they always invited the chapel of the Krumlov prince's guard, which was located on the ... main tower of the castle and from there trumpeted fanfare into the hunting horns. And for the permanent staff had their own dining room, and another dining room in the basement of the castle served for hunters. Accordingly, for the masters of the rut participants, the Hunting Canteen was arranged on the first floor of the castle, or they were going to a ceremonial dinner in the Grand Canteen in the representative chambers of the castle. In the castle there were many private apartments for distinguished guests and relatives, and each of them also had small dining rooms. Well, during the golden wedding, a festive table was laid on 127 people in the riding hall.


The space of caissons is filled with painted gilded leather!

In addition to the constant contingent of castle servants, each family member had their own servants, who accompanied them on all trips. For example, in 1935, the annual Schwarzenberg Magazine recorded that the family of the last owner of the Hlubok castle, Adolf Schwarzenberg and his wife Hilda, had nine permanent employees, including a personal servant, a personal maid, a cook, two maids, a housemaid, a keeper of a hunt and two chauffeurs.


A small box made of tortoise shell and decorated with brass ornaments is made in the style of the Renaissance.


The bed of Princess Eleanor.

When the prince’s family was absent, the residents of the nearby village of Zamost were allowed to pass through the park to shorten the road to the market in Glubok. The arrival of the gentlemen one day before was reported by raising the flag on one of the towers. Moreover, if the flag was raised on a large tower, then everyone understood that the prince himself was coming, and if on the tower to the right of the gate, then he was the prince-heir and princesses. In this case, the passage through the public park was closed, and benches for ladies were carried out on its avenues.


Hunting canteen is decorated with trophies and chandeliers made of deer antlers.

The park was laid a lot of walking paths and made entrances for carriages and carriages. In addition, according to the fashion of the time, various “romantic” buildings were made in it, for example, the Chinese Pavilion or the arched bridge under the castle by the Vltava River.


About the ceiling in the Arsenal here has already been told, but now you can see it. In the center of the famous "garlic", which, for example, in the "gangs" of Italian condottieres on the battlefield, scattered a special soldier - "florist". He received the double salary of a swordsman with a two-handed sword (!), But in the gangs such soldiers were not loved because of their bad smell, because very much the “flowers” ​​were smeared with pig manure. Well, falling into the hands of the enemy "florists" was very dangerous. There is an engraving “The death of a florist”, on which he is executed, pulling up by the horizontal one with a rope thrown over his copulatory organs.

What did Schwarzenberg in the castle do besides hunts? For example, the ruling prince devoted his afternoon time to economic management. For his report, officials from the Office of His Highness came to him and reported on income and expenses. Then he was served morning mail, including requests for financial support. We had to delve into all the little things, to understand the indicators of soil fertility and market prices for grain, the required amount of hops for each decaliter of beer and the volume of silage eaten by cows and pigs in the castle’s farms.


One of the treasures armory the castle’s collections are these armors of the work of the master Hans Ringler from Augsburg, made by him around 1560. These are blackened half-armor, decorated at the same time with silvering and gilding!

As you know, Schwarzenberg were Anglomaniac, which not only reflected in the architecture of the castle itself, but also showed up in a funny way in the gradual transfer of dinner time. First, they dined at the castle at two o'clock in the afternoon, but then the lunch time was transferred to the evening, following the example of the English dinner. Morning tea was made to serve each family member separately, but at one o'clock in the afternoon the whole family gathered for a general light afternoon snack.


Even simple flint hunting rifles were transformed by the masters into genuine works of art.

After the afternoon snack, it was customary to rest, and the rest in Glubok was active: horse riding and walking in the park. But in the evening the family gathered in one of the luxurious rooms of the castle and was engaged in ... playing charades or syllables and words. In the custom were early morning walks barefoot in the dew! And this tradition was especially actively supported by Prince Adolf II on the advice of the physician Vincenz Priest. He walked, however, always accompanied by a hunter with a loaded gun in case he ever encountered some beautiful wild beast, his brother Felix went to Vltava and ponds to fish, and Friedrich, the future cardinal, loved to walk in the mountains. Later he, already in the rank of Cardinal, would write in his letter to his elder brother: “How good I would be now in the meadows and forests in Hluboka, Libyerevitsy, Krumlov”. That is, the brothers loved nature and knew how to enjoy its beauty!

Another entertainment was theatrical performances in their own castle theater in the large hall on the second floor, to which they invited friends and acquaintances who are on the same social level. The fact is that the roles in these performances were played, besides the hired actors, the members of the princely family themselves or their close friends, and it would be unforgivable to play the speeches with outsiders. Homely balls were very popular, where young aristocrats of the opposite sex just met, and it would have been very difficult for them to find and choose a mate.


But it is proud of the period of the Thirty Years War - almost everything that eventually remained from the knightly armor. True, it is also decorated with blackening and gilding, that is, it clearly belonged not to a simple soldier, but to an officer! For this time, this sword is also characterized with numerous processes of the cross and a blunt heel on the blade between them. This type of sword is known by the name pappenheimer. Named in honor of Gottfried Pappenheim, the commander-in-chief of the troops of the Catholic League, during the Thirty Years War.

But the roads at that time were traditionally bad, alas. Therefore, traveling from one castle to another was fraught with considerable difficulties and expenses, because of which the visits were delayed for a long time, as it happened, by the way, everywhere. Remember how long the relatives stayed with the planters in Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mittchel, and it turns out that there and there everything was the same. There was such a time. Well, guest rooms in Hlubok and other Schwarzenberg castles were even generic names, so it was easy for the servants in the same kitchen to navigate, where and who to carry, and where, to whom and what to serve.

In conclusion, it is worth emphasizing once again that it is necessary to visit Hluboka Castle, if you are going to visit the Czech Republic, because it is worth looking at beauty!
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  1. +4
    16 October 2017 07: 49
    Prince Jan-Adolf II, above all, was keen on hunting and horse riding (well, what to do if he was so brought up and found pleasure in killing defenseless animals), while his brother Felix loved to fish, but the youngest brother Frederick, who later became Cardinal, he loved to climb the mountains, that is, to engage in mountaineering. Each lady also had their hobbies. For example, Princess Paulina, the wife of Prince Joseph, from early childhood showed herself in the visual arts and graphics, but Princess Theresa loved to embroider, which for women of her circle was considered very worthy.
    ..It is clear that there was no “tyrnet”, poor people toiled ... smile
    1. +9
      16 October 2017 08: 51
      the poor were toiling ... smile

      yeah. They were fruitful, multiplied, were engaged in labor and deeds, communicated .. in general, they behaved like normal people. hi
      Well, the head of the Turk in the castle can be seen in various places

      I already feel sorry for this poor Turk! crying only on the coat of arms is three times depicted, also "multiplied" by the castle. Straight Prometheus - the eternal martyr from the beak of a bird. fellow
      on which they execute him by pulling .... by a rope thrown over his copulative organs

      I thought this only happens in jokes .. what no luck man. brrr! belay
  2. +19
    16 October 2017 08: 20
    An interesting story that resurrects the details of a story.
    Beauty is one word
  3. +5
    16 October 2017 12: 22
    One of the most beautiful castles of South Moravia, owned by the Schwarzenbergs.
    The interiors are in such a state that it seems you can catch someone from the medieval owners by going into the room.
    Sorry, you can’t take pictures inside.
    The walls of the castle of the entire courtyard to the roof are decorated with horns of deer killed in the hunt with tablets with the names of their prey. Hundreds of horns.
    It is worth visiting to see the castle, not to mention visiting the local wine cellars.
    1. +4
      16 October 2017 17: 50
      About the cellar is better not necessary ... And what were the straws with cream and lemon becherovka ...
  4. 0
    16 October 2017 14: 15
    I’m wondering - where did the author find the image of a Turk with a forelock (sedentary)? In the pictures, the head of the Cossack. The Turks wore FESKA with a kind of forelock on it, and not on a shaved head.
    1. +4
      16 October 2017 15: 05
      read the previous articles on the topic, even the discussion was. hi
      or you can check publications on the Internet on the emblem. They all say something like this:
      In 1599, Adolf Schwarzenberg received the title of imperial count for the victory over the Turks in the battle of Slave; he also acquired the right to add to the family coat of arms a field with the head of a dead Turk, to whom a raven pecks his eyes.
      that's all! hi
      By the way, here is an interesting layout in LJ on the subject of a dispute, is it Turks or Ukrainian:
      http://vpervye1.livejournal.com/508934.html
  5. +6
    16 October 2017 19: 17
    .... because it's worth looking at beauty!

    You are absolutely right! Yes
    Thanks for the interesting and colorful travels! love
    1. +5
      16 October 2017 19: 57
      Glad you liked it. It will still be...
      1. +3
        16 October 2017 21: 22
        Really liked it. I wait and read with pleasure!

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