Defurovy Lažany

Defurovy Lažany is a small village in the Klatovy District of the Plzeň Region in the Czech Republic, forming part of the municipality of Chanovice. It sits a few kilometers west of Chanovice, in the quiet farmland of the Šumava foothills. The village itself has only around sixty to seventy residents, yet it carries more than six centuries of recorded history and an old manor house that gave the place its unusual double-barrelled name.

Where exactly is the village located?

Defurovy Lažany lies in the Klatovy District of the Plzeň Region, roughly 3 kilometers west of Chanovice and about 1 kilometer south of Černice. It is not a self-governing municipality: since 30 April 1976 it has been administered as part of Chanovice. The nearest larger town is Horažďovice. The village's cadastral territory covers 3.92 square kilometers.

Where does the name Defurovy Lažany come from?

The settlement was originally known simply as Lažany. The earliest written mention dates to 1336, and a later record from 1366 names a specific owner, Bašek Šilhéř. The prefix "Defurovy" was added much later, tied to the Desfours family, who held the estate for a long stretch of the 18th century. The village's current name is a direct legacy of that noble family.

Who owned the estate through the centuries?

The ownership history is unusually well documented. In the second half of the 15th century the estate passed to the Lažanský z Bukové family — Oldřich is recorded in 1483, and after his death the property went to his wife, Dorota z Prostého. When she died before 1496, Hynek z Bukové took over and was still living there in 1509. From 1615 the village and its fortified manor belonged to Friedrich Švihovský z Rýzmberka, then, until 1658, to his daughter Elisabeth Černínová. In the second half of the 17th century, Count Jan Desfours acquired the property and built an early Baroque castle on the old stronghold's foundations — the origin of the village's present name. In 1831, Count František Boos-Waldeck bought the castle, and his descendants held Lažany together with neighboring Oselce until 1918.

What can be said about the local castle?

The building standing in Defurovy Lažany today has Gothic roots: the earliest written record of a fortress on the site dates to 1496, and it underwent Renaissance alterations during the 16th century. Its present Baroque look goes back to the rebuilding commissioned by Count Jan Desfours in the second half of the 17th century, later supplemented with Classicist touches. The castle has a closed layout wrapped around a small inner courtyard, reached through two passageways with arcaded ground floors. Historians still disagree on whether it has three or four wings, a question complicated by a sharply bent northeast wing. It stands on the grounds of a former farmstead at the southeastern edge of the village, surrounded by historic fishponds that once served a defensive purpose. After the world wars it briefly housed a vocational school before passing into private hands, and is currently owned by the company Sebastiano Nemovitosti; it is not open to visitors.

What else is there to see nearby?

A handful of other attractions in the Chanovice area lie within easy reach. About 3 kilometers away stands the Rozhledna Chanovice observation tower, offering views over the surrounding hills of the Šumava foothills. Families looking for a day out can also head to the aquapark in Horažďovice, roughly 10 kilometers from the village.

Frequently asked questions

Can the castle in Defurovy Lažany be visited? No. The building is privately owned, currently by the company Sebastiano Nemovitosti, and remains closed to visitors.

Which municipality does the village belong to? Defurovy Lažany has been part of the municipality of Chanovice, in the Klatovy District, since 30 April 1976.

Where does the village's name come from? Its original name was simply Lažany. The "Defurovy" prefix was added in honor of the Desfours family, counts who held the estate during the 18th century.

How big is the village? The cadastral territory of Defurovy Lažany covers 3.92 square kilometers, and the population has long hovered between sixty and seventy residents.

What are the earliest records of the settlement? The first written mention of Lažany dates to 1336, while the local fortress first appears in documents in 1496.