A walk back into the past
The town of Letovice is located in the South Moravian region of the Czech Republic, 43 km (~26.72 mi) from Brno, in the Blanská District, at the confluence of the Svitava and Křetínka rivers. Chateau Letovice is located here, which was probably built in the second half of the 13th century on a high, rocky promontory above the Svitava River. The castle building is two-storey, irregular and has three wings.
A medieval cylindrical tower stands on the southwest side of the castle. To the east, the castle grounds were filled with farm buildings: stables and riding stables, a brewery, a granary, a barn. Around the castle are the remains of castle fortifications and a semi-cylindrical bastion. The castle grounds were surrounded by an English-style park, which was originally just a hop garden. The castle was rebuilt into an early Baroque chateau by Štěpán Szelepcsényi at the end of the 17th century.
The Baroque style developed from the elegance of the Renaissance. Baroque aristocratic residences were characterized by a theatrical approach, drama, grandeur and splendor, which were intended to reflect the social status, nobility and past of their owners. They were characterized by rich decoration. Domed walls, frescoes, stained glass windows, gilded surfaces, stucco, marble, paintings, carvings and sculptures. Their furniture was often made of walnut and ebony, gracefully curved and ornately carved, lacquered and gilded.
“Learn from the past, set vivid, detailed goals for the future, and live in the only moment of time over which you have any control: now.”
– Denis Waitley