Výšovice Chateau

Výšovice Chateau is a late Baroque residence standing in the village of Výšovice, about 6 km south of Prostějov, in Moravia. Built in the mid-18th century on the initiative of Augustinian canons from Šternberk, the building today serves a mostly residential and social function for the local village.

Where did the village come from, and who ruled it?

The first written record of Výšovice dates to 1348, when Žofka z Náměště bequeathed part of the village to Oldřich and Vilém z Náměště. Its fortunes shifted in 1371, when Albrecht ze Šternberka granted the whole of Výšovice to a newly founded Augustinian monastery in Šternberk. The village stayed in monastic hands until the monastery was dissolved in 1784 — for more than four centuries, it was canons rather than secular nobility who ran the place.

What stood here before the current chateau?

Before today's building existed, the Šternberk provost Matyáš Gašínský built a residence with a larger farmstead in Výšovice in 1617. That earlier complex served the monastery for well over a century before it was eventually torn down.

When and why was the present chateau built?

In 1753, provost Johan Glätzel decided to demolish the old farmstead and residence. In their place, a late Baroque, L-shaped chateau with a garden and farm buildings was raised to a design by Domenico Martinelli. Construction was finished in 1755. The building's early years were far from peaceful — it burned down completely in 1769, forcing another round of rebuilding.

What happened to the chateau after the monastery was dissolved?

Following the dissolution of the Augustinian monastery in 1784, the chateau passed to the Strouhal family. The new owners remodeled part of the building in the Empire style in 1796, giving it a character partly preserved to this day. The last private owner, painter Richard Klobus, had the entrance portal and interiors renovated in 1930.

What has survived inside the chateau?

The main hall still holds its original ceiling paintings, and several rococo tiled stoves have also been preserved — traces of the interior decoration from the 18th-century rebuilding. A park of roughly 1.65 hectares adjoins the chateau, though it is currently in a neglected state. One curiosity is a former mineral spring of hydrogen sulfide water, now hidden inside an unmaintained well 123.3 meters deep.

What is the chateau used for today?

Around the turn of the millennium, the municipality of Výšovice added two new wings to the chateau's courtyard, creating 28 small apartments for people with disabilities. The chateau, together with its courtyard and garden, now belongs to the municipality and combines a residential role with remnants of its former life as a manor house — the building also houses a restaurant.

Where exactly is the chateau located?

The chateau stands on the square in the village of Výšovice, north of the local church, on the road leading from Prostějov toward Němčice nad Hanou, about 1.5 km from the Brno–Prostějov highway.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who built the chateau in Výšovice? Augustinian canons from Šternberk built it between 1753 and 1755 to a design by Domenico Martinelli, on the site of an earlier provost's residence from 1617.

Why is the chateau L-shaped? That layout was part of the original 18th-century design, when the building was raised together with a garden and farm outbuildings.

What happened to the chateau in 1769? It burned down completely, and full rebuilding only followed years later, partly under the Strouhal family after 1784.

Who was the last private owner of the chateau? Painter Richard Klobus, who renovated the entrance portal and interiors in 1930.

Can the chateau be visited today? The building now serves mainly a residential purpose, housing municipal apartments for people with disabilities and a restaurant — it is not a typical sightseeing site with regular interior tours.