Zámek Komařice

Komařice Castle stands in the village of Komařice, roughly 12 kilometres southeast of České Budějovice in South Bohemia. It is a quiet Renaissance manor with a story that runs from a medieval stronghold through repeated fires to three centuries of monastic ownership.

How did the estate begin?

The oldest noble seat at Komařice was a courtyard residence and, later, a Gothic fortified manor (tvrz), first documented in the 14th century. In 1346 it was held by Beneš z Komařic, a relative of the Bavor family of Strakonice. For the next two hundred years the site served as a defensive residence for the local nobility before undergoing a complete transformation.

When did it become a Renaissance château?

Between 1565 and 1566, the owner Jiří Kořenský z Terešova rebuilt the old fortified manor into a comfortable Renaissance residence. An arcaded courtyard was added, and the façades were decorated with sgraffito and wall paintings. A stone entrance portal bearing the coats of arms of successive owners was installed and survives to this day, although the arcades themselves were bricked up during 19th-century alterations.

Why did ownership change in the 17th century?

Two fires shaped the building's fate — one in 1598 and another in 1621, the latter caused by a lightning strike. The damage was severe enough that the owner at the time, Ctibor, could not afford the repairs. As a result, in October 1623 Komařice, together with its manor, farmstead and brewery, was sold to the abbot and prior of the Cistercian monastery of Vyšší Brod. The estate then remained monastic property for more than three centuries, run as part of the abbey's landed holdings.

What remains of the original architecture?

The two-storey residence still shows clear Renaissance features, including the carved portal and traces of sgraffito decoration. Inside the tower is the Chapel of St. Bernardine, fitted out around 1650, with an altar consecrated in 1653. The grounds also hold a Baroque statue of the Immaculate Conception and two notably old trees that have stood in the castle park for generations.

What happened to the castle in the 20th century and after?

Following nationalisation in 1948, the building passed to the local National Committee, then to the Oděvy clothing enterprise, and later served as storage space for the South Bohemian Museum. In 1992, as part of the restitution of church and private property, the estate was returned to its former owners. It is now listed as a protected cultural monument and has been undergoing gradual restoration, with recent work completed on the roof, chimneys and the main façade. Because renovation is still underway, the castle is not open to visitors.

Frequently asked questions

Can visitors tour Komařice Castle? No — the building is currently under restoration and is closed to the public.

How old is the castle? Its roots go back to a 14th-century fortified manor, while its present Renaissance form dates from the 1565–1566 rebuilding.

Who owned the castle the longest? The Cistercian monastery of Vyšší Brod, which held Komařice from 1623 for more than 300 years.

What survives from the original decoration? The stone entrance portal with coats of arms, traces of sgraffito on the façade, and the tower's Chapel of St. Bernardine with its 1653 altar.