Smidary Castle

Smidary Castle is a classicist manor house standing on the site of an older fortress, in the small town of Smidary in the Jičín district of the Hradec Králové region, close to the village of Křičov on the Cidlina river.

When was the first stronghold at Smidary built?

The earliest record of a fortress at Smidary dates to 1544. An earlier document from 1427 mentions only a manor house on the site, suggesting the original stronghold may have fallen out of use or disappeared for a time before being revived. That early structure stood in the space bounded by the Podhradní mill, a manor house, the rectory and the Cidlina river itself.

Who rebuilt the fortress after 1558?

Smidary was bought in 1558 by Sabina Zilvárová of Vřesovice, and it was under her ownership that the old fortress was rebuilt. A description from 1581 depicts a structure standing within its own enclosure in a pleasant setting, built partly of stone and partly of timber — a common arrangement for smaller gentry strongholds in the region at the time.

How did the timber fortress become a brick castle?

Between 1810 and 1813, Karel Rey had the old, largely wooden fortress with its extensive cellars replaced by a plain brick castle laid out on a rectangular plan. The new building did not keep this form for long: a fire in 1825 destroyed much of the structure.

Who rebuilt the castle after the 1825 fire?

The rebuilding after the fire was carried out by the estate's then owners, Countess Rozina Colloredo and her brother Prokop Jan Hartman. They gave the castle the late Empire-style appearance it still has today, kept on the same rectangular footprint — a modest design without elaborate decoration, typical of smaller landed estates of the early nineteenth century.

Can Smidary Castle be visited today?

No. The castle currently stands unused, is closed to the public and shows significant signs of neglect. Its interiors are not open for visits, and as a privately owned building it can only be viewed from the outside, most easily as part of a walk through the town of Smidary itself.

What else is worth seeing nearby?

A few kilometres south of Smidary lies Křičov, the smallest part of the municipality, where a small fortress with its own farmstead once stood as well. Nothing of that structure survives above ground today, but its former presence fits into a wider network of minor medieval strongholds strung along the Cidlina river in this area. Nearby, in the same Jičín district, the town of Jičín and its well-known Wallenstein castle make an easy addition to a day exploring this part of the Český ráj region.

Frequently asked questions

When was the first stronghold at Smidary recorded? The earliest surviving mention of a fortress here dates to 1544, though an earlier manor house on the site was already noted in 1427.

Who rebuilt the fortress in the mid-16th century? Sabina Zilvárová of Vřesovice, who bought Smidary in 1558 and had the stronghold rebuilt; by 1581 it was described as a building of stone and timber standing in its own enclosure.

When was the fortress converted into a brick castle? Between 1810 and 1813, when Karel Rey replaced the old timber structure with a plain brick castle on a rectangular plan.

Did the castle burn down? Yes, a fire destroyed it in 1825. It was rebuilt by Countess Rozina Colloredo and her brother Prokop Jan Hartman, who gave it its current late Empire appearance.

Is the interior open to visitors? No, the castle is privately owned, closed to the public, and currently neglected and unused.