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2025-06-20T05:20:25Z

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[[File:Duchcov Castle, Czech Republic.jpg|thumb|The entrance]]
[[File:Back side of Duchcov Castle.JPG|thumb|View from rear side]]
'''Duchcov Chateau''' ({{langx|cs|Zámek Duchcov}}; {{langx|de|Schloss Dux}}) is a manor house in [[Duchcov]] in the [[Ústí nad Labem Region]] of the [[Czech Republic]]. It is protected as a [[Cultural monument (Czech Republic)|national cultural monument]].

Today the chateau houses a museum with a collection of historic furniture. Also on display is the painting and portrait gallery of the [[Waldstein family]], including portraits of the most famous member of this family, [[Albrecht von Wallenstein]], [[Duke of Friedland]], by [[Anthony van Dyck]]. One room is dedicated to [[Giacomo Casanova]], who was employed here as a [[librarian]] from 1785 until his death in 1798, and wrote his memoirs, ''[[Histoire de ma vie]]'', here.

==History==
[[File:Duchcov Castle c. 1900.jpg|thumb|Two aspects of the chateau, {{circa|1900}}]]
The chateau was initially built as a fort in the 13th century by the [[Hrabišici|Hrabišic family]], which resided at the [[Osek (Teplice District)#Sights|Osek Castle]]. Not earlier than 1527, the [[Lobkowicz family]] replaced the fort with a one-wing [[Renaissance]] palace. Marie Polyxena of Thalmberg, the widow of František Josef of Lobkowicz, married secondly Maximillian of Waldstein in 1642. Their son Jan Bedřich of Waldstein, later the [[Archbishop of Prague]], was apprised with the French architect and painter [[Jean Baptiste Mathey]], and he brought him to Duchcov for the purpose of rebuilding the residence. The castle was incorporated in the Waldstein's family ''[[Fideicommissum|fideicommis]]'' and passed on through inheritance to Ernst Joseph Count Waldstein and to his descendants until it was nationalised in 1945.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://memim.com/duchcov-chateau.html |title=Duchcov Chateau |accessdate=2015-02-17 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217202611/http://memim.com/duchcov-chateau.html |archivedate=17 February 2015}}</ref>

Mathey designed a huge Baroque complex, including a large park and a hospital. The decoration of the building was provided by the best Baroque artists in [[Bohemia]], like the sculptors [[Matthias Braun]], [[Ferdinand Brokoff]], and painter [[Wenzel Lorenz Reiner]].<ref>Ehrenberger, Tomáš (2003), ''The 88 Most Beautiful Castles'', p. 43, Kartografie Praha a.s., {{ISBN|80-7011-745-1}}</ref> Between 1785 and 1798, [[Giacomo Casanova]], the so-called secretary of the 18th century, spent the last thirteen years of his life in Duchcov.<ref>Rob Humphreys, Tim Nollen (2002), [https://books.google.com/books?id=kpEc8ltyqnUC&dq=Duchcov+castle&pg=PA254 ''Rough guide to the Czech & Slovak Republics''], Rough Guides, 6th ed. p. 254. {{ISBN|1-85828-904-1}}</ref>

In the 19th century, the castle was rebuilt in the Neoclassical style and the garden in the romantic style. The Waldstein family left the place in 1921.

At present, the chateau is state-owned and open to visitors. The garden grounds serve as a public park.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tour routes|url=https://www.zamek-duchcov.cz/en/plan-your-visit/tours|work=Duchcov Castle|publisher=National Heritage Institute|access-date=2023-06-29}}</ref> Since 2002, the castle has been protected as a [[Cultural monument (Czech Republic)|national cultural monument]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Zámek Duchcov|url=https://pamatkovykatalog.cz/zamek-duchcov-2298385|publisher=National Heritage Institute|language=cs|access-date=2023-06-29}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of castles in the Ústí nad Labem Region]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Duchcov Castle}}
*{{official|https://www.zamek-duchcov.cz/en}}

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[[Category:Teplice District]]
[[Category:Castles in the Czech Republic]]
[[Category:Castles in the Ústí nad Labem Region]]
[[Category:National cultural monuments of the Czech Republic]]
[[Category:Museums in the Ústí nad Labem Region]]

Duchcov Chateau - Revision history

imported>FromCzech: MOS:CIRCA, consistency