Litomyšl

Litomyšl
Town
Marketplace at Litomyšl

Flag
Coat of arms
Litomyšl
Coordinates: 49°52′12″N 16°18′46″E / 49.87000°N 16.31278°E / 49.87000; 16.31278Coordinates: 49°52′12″N 16°18′46″E / 49.87000°N 16.31278°E / 49.87000; 16.31278
Country Czech Republic
Region Pardubice
District Svitavy
Commune Litomyšl
First mentioned 981
Government
 • Mayor Radomil Kašpar
Area
 • Total 33.45 km2 (12.92 sq mi)
Elevation 330 m (1,080 ft)
Population (2015-01-01)
 • Total 10,077
 • Density 301/km2 (780/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code 030 92 - 570 01
UNESCO World Heritage site
Official name Litomyšl Castle
Criteria Cultural: (ii)(iv)
Reference 901
Inscription 1999 (23rd Session)
Area 4.25 ha (0.0164 sq mi)
Buffer zone 118.13 ha (0.4561 sq mi)
Website www.zamek-litomysl.cz/en

Litomyšl (Czech pronunciation: [ˈlɪtomɪʃl̩]; German: Leitomischl) is a town and municipality, former bishopric and Latin Catholic titular see in the Pardubice Region of Bohemia, in the Czech Republic. It is located 136 kilometres (85 mi) east of Prague.

The château-type castle complex in the town centre is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

History

It takes its name from the Litoměřici, one of over a dozen West Slavic tribes which settled in the Czech lands from the sixth century. [1]

The eastern Bohemian town of Litomyšl emerged in the 13th century on the site of an older fortified settlement on the Trstenice path - an important trading route linking Bohemia and Moravia.

From 1344.04.30 till its 1474 suppression (during the Hussite Wars) it was the seat of a Latin Catholic Diocese of Leitomischl / Litomyšl / Lutomislen(sis) (Latin adjective), until its territory was merged back into the (meanwhile Metropolitan Arch)Diocese of Prague, but in 1970 it was nominally restored as Titular bishopric. [2]

Until 1918, Leitomischl–Litomyšl (older German name Leutomischl) was part of the Austrian monarchy (Austria side after the compromise of 1867), head of the district with the same name, one of the 94 Bezirkshauptmannschaften or "okresní hejtmanství" in Bohemia.[3] The German population was expelled as a result of the Benes Decrees in 1945.

Main sights

The dominant feature of Litomyšl is the monumental Renaissance castle dating from the years 1568–1581. The buildings of the castle precincts are not only exceptional for their architectural refinement, but have also inscribed themselves in history as the birthplace of the Czech composer, Bedřich Smetana. On the elongated square, which is one of the largest in the Czech Republic, stands a town hall of Gothic origin and a series of Renaissance and baroque houses, many with arcades and vaulted groundfloor rooms. One of the most important of these is the House At the Knights (U Rytířů) with its remarkable façade. In the past the town was also a significant religious centre; it was in Litomyšl in 1344 that the second bishopric to be established in Bohemia was founded, although it ceased to exist during the Hussite Wars. In the 19th century, the Litomyšl Grammar School was of great importance.

The cultural traditions of the town go much beyond regional and national frontiers. The exquisite interiors of the castle, especially the baroque castle theatre, the amphitheatre in the castle park and Smetana House, all offer varied programmes of concerts and theatrical performances and thus enrich the life of the town throughout the year. In 1994 the meeting of the seven Central European presidents took place at the castle. The chateau complex was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999.

Litomyšl is also home to the "Portmoneum", a museum of the artist and writer Josef Váchal in the home of his admirer Josef Portman, who commissioned Váchal's murals and painted furniture in the house.

Municipal subdivisions

  • Litomyšl-město
  • Kornice
  • Lány
  • Nedošín
  • Nová Ves u Litomyšle
  • Pazucha
  • Pohodlí
  • Suchá
  • Zahájí
  • Záhradí

Broadcasting station

Near Litomyšl, there is a large broadcasting station for short- and mediumwave. The shortwave transmitter at 49°49′07″N 16°18′27″E / 49.81861°N 16.30750°E / 49.81861; 16.30750 is the most important shortwave broadcasting facility of Czech using towers with heights up to 105 metres (344 ft). A bit southeast at 49°48′38″N 16°18′5″E / 49.81056°N 16.30139°E / 49.81056; 16.30139, there are two guyed masts, 125 metres (410 ft) tall, used for mediumwave broadcasting on 1287 kHz with 150 kW[4]

Notable locals

Litomyšl is the birthplace of classical composer Bedřich Smetana (1824–1884), physician and oceanographer August Jilek (1819–1898), critic and historian of literature Arne Novák, literary critic Hubert Gordon Schauer and Karel Píč (1920–1995), Esperanto writer, author of the innovative autobiographical novel "La Litomiŝla Tombejo" (The Litomyšl Cemetery).

Magdalena Dobromila Rettigová, the author of the first cookbook written in Czech, lived here between 1834 and her death in 1845.

Josef Kořenský (1847–1938), one of the most prominent Czech travellers, worked in Litomyšl as a teacher between 1871 and 1874.

There is an extensive permanent exhibition of Olbram Zoubek's (a famous Czech contemporary sculptor and designer) sculptures and art in Litomyšl Castle Vault Gallery.

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Litomyšl is twinned with:

References

  1. ↑ http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Czech_Republic.html World Statesmen
  2. ↑ http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/former/t1036.htm GCatholic - episcopal see
  3. ↑ Die postalischen Abstempelungen auf den österreichischen Postwertzeichen-Ausgaben 1867, 1883 und 1890, Wilhelm KLEIN, 1967
  4. ↑ "Technical broadcasting data" (GIF) (in Czech). Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  5. ↑ "Łańcut Official Website - Foreign contacts". (in English) © 2008 Urząd Miejski w Łańcucie, Plac Sobieskiego 18, 37-100 Łańcut. Retrieved 2008-10-25.

See also


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.