Tvrz

The Tchořovice fortified manor, known locally as a tvrz, is a former fortified noble residence turned granary, standing in the small village of Tchořovice in the Strakonice district of South Bohemia. The village itself is first mentioned in written records in 1321, but the fortified seat is only documented from the 1380s, when Jan and Jodok of Tchořovice held the estate.

Who owned the manor over the centuries?

The earliest recorded lords of Tchořovice were Jan, mentioned in 1372, and Jodok, mentioned in 1389, members of the local noble family the settlement was named after. The estate later passed to Beneš of Tchořovice, and before 1409 it was bought by Vilém of Vartemberk and Zvířetice. A more lasting change came at the end of the 15th century, when the property was acquired by the Muchek family of Bukov, who held it for more than a century and a half. It was under their ownership, around the mid-16th century, that the originally Gothic tvrz was rebuilt in Renaissance style.

What survives from the Renaissance rebuilding?

The Mucheks turned the older Gothic structure into a two-storey, four-wing building whose facades were decorated with elaborate sgraffito. The manor is still ringed by a water-filled moat, crossed by a stone arched bridge that was later reworked in Baroque style. The bridge leads to a gate projecting from the building's outline and topped with a Baroque gable; the gate itself still carries heraldic cartouches referring to the Mucheks of Bukov and to later family alliances formed through marriage.

Why did the manor stop being a residence?

The estate's fortunes changed in the mid-17th century. In 1653, the indebted Tchořovice property was sold by court order to Adam Matyáš Trautmannsdorf, owner of the neighboring Lnáře estate. Once absorbed into the Lnáře domain, the manor no longer served as anyone's home, and it was soon converted for agricultural use as a granary storing grain from the surrounding farms.

What condition is the tvrz in today?

Decades of use as a working granary took a toll on the building, and its technical condition has long been described as poor, in need of thorough reconstruction. The site is protected as a listed cultural monument, but it is not open to the public — it remains privately owned, and visitors can only view the moat, bridge, and gate from outside the grounds.

How do you get to Tchořovice?

The village lies less than 6 kilometers northwest of Blatná, right on the main road connecting Blatná with Lnáře and Nepomuk. The area is also reachable by rail, with the nearest connections running through Blatná and Lnáře.

Frequently asked questions

Can you go inside the Tchořovice tvrz? No. The building is privately owned and closed to visitors; from outside you can see the moat, the stone bridge, and the gate.

When was the manor built? The fortified residence is documented from the 1380s, though the village itself already existed earlier, first recorded in 1321.

Which family held the estate longest? The Mucheks of Bukov, who owned Tchořovice from the late 15th century until the mid-17th century and carried out the Renaissance rebuilding.

Why was the manor turned into a granary? After the estate was sold in 1653 and merged with the neighboring Lnáře domain, the building lost its role as a noble residence and was adapted for storing grain instead.