The main staircase and the staircase hall
The history of Kynzvart starts in the 13th century. At that time, the Czech king Premysl Otakar II ordered the erection of a castle here. In the late 16th century, a Renaissance fortress was erected in this valley by the lords of Cedvice. After the Battle of White Mountain, the demesne of Kynzvart, along with the castle and the Renaissance fortress, was taken over by Johann Reinhard of Metternich and his brothers. In the 17th century, Philip Emmerich Metternich replaced the Renaissance fortress with a Baroque mansion.
In 1818, Prince Klement Metternich inherited the Kynzvart domain. Based on the Chancellor’s ideas, the castle was remodelled in the Viennese Classical Style. The large-scale remodelling works were carried out between 1820 and 1839 by Pietro Nobile, a Viennese architect of Italian origin.
Undoubtedly the best-known member of the House of Metternich, Prince Klement Wenceslas Lothar was the State Chancellor of Austria. The third portrait from the left shows the Chancellor at the age of 68. He spent 47 years of his life in the service of two emperors; namely, Francis I (the second one from the left) and Ferdinand I the Benign (on the far right). On the far left there is a portrait of the Chancellor's father, Imperial Count Francis George. Please pay attention to the two bronze sculptures near the glazed door; the left one being a replica of Michelangelo’s statue of Moses, and the right one being a replica of the statue „Milon of Kroton“ by Pierre Puget.
The Dark Room - the ante-chamber
On the wall there is a horse tapestry woven around 1680. The tapestry is adorned with an embroidery in the shape of three St James' shells. This sign of pilgrims, the original coat-of-arms of the Metternich family, can be seen on numerous exhibits in this castle.
The set of portraits dating back to the turn of the 18th century represents some famous rulers and noblemen. The huge vase, made of Ural porfyrite, was presented to the Chancellor by the Russian Tsar Alexander I. The furnishings of this antechamber are completed with two pieces of Baroque furniture.
The Malachite Chamber
The Malachite Chamber is adjacent to the guest rooms of the south wing, as well as to the ceremonial west wing. Originally, it was called “the second side chamber”, later serving as a dressing room. Now, you can see some gifts presented to Chancellor Metternich here. Next to the entrance door, there is a set of malachite vases from Russia. Two smaller paintings representing a harbour are in reality made up of tiny coloured pebbles. The small tables with inlaid stone tops were made by the "in petra dura" technique. Made in a workshop in Florence, they were presented to the Chancellor by the Tuscan Grand Duke Federico III. The still-life with flowers and fruits was painted by Francis Xaver Petter, from Vienna in 1835.
The Small Study
You can only have a look into this chamber furnished as a gentleman’s study. The Chancellor’s Empire table is the dominant piece of furniture in this room. The set of ten paintings represents the landscape in the Rhineland, the home country of the Metternich family.
The Blue Chamber
The Blue Chamber was traditionally used as Prince Metternich’s private boudoir. Currently, it is devoted to Napoleonic memorabilia.
Next to the window there is a tapestry woven on the basis of Napoleon’s crowning portrait. There is a medallion (No. 210) with Napoleon's hairs on the third left shelf in the glass-case opposite the window. On the walls there are portraits of his both wives. The portrait on the right represents the Emperor’s first wife, Josephine Beauharnais. After terminating their childless marriage by a divorce, he married Marie-Louise, the daughter of the Austrian Emperor Francis I (on the left). This marriage was arranged by Chancellor Metternich.
Above the glass-case you can see the son of Napoleon and Marie-Louise, Duke of Reichstadt, called Eaglet, who died at the age of 21. After Eaglet’s death, Marie-Louise presented Chancellor Metternich with several items of Napoleon’s personal belongings. They included, for instance, the wash-stand (in the left corner) used by the Emperor during his first exile on the island of Elba.
The Chancellor’s Study
The Chancellor's study in the south-west wing always ranked among the most favourite rooms of the castle. Klement Wenceslas Lothar was born on 15 May 1773 in the German town of Coblenz on the river Rhine. He started his diplomatic career as Austria’s envoy in Hague, Dresden, Berlin and Paris. In 1809 he was appointed the Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs. In addition, he also became the State Chancellor of Austria in 1821. In 1810 he was awarded the highest order of the Habsburg Empire, namely the Order of the Golden Fleece. In 1813 he was elevated to the hereditary princedom. The portrait between the windows depicts the successful statesman at the age of 37. After the revolutionary events in March 1848, he fled to London. He returned to Austria as late as 1851. At that time, he was often staying at Kynzvart. He died in Vienna on 11 June 1859 at the age of 86. His remains were then buried in his family’s sepulchre at Plasy.
Three portraits represent Chancellor’s three wives. Metternich married the first one of them, Marie Eleonore, Countess of Kaunitz-Rittberg (between the doors), in 1795. They had in all 7 children, with only three daughters and their son Francis Charles Victor living into adulthood. Francis, however, died young at the age of 26. In the course of his second marriage with Marie Antonie of Leykam, Countess of Beilstein (above the fireplace), which lasted only two years, the Chancellor’s heir, Richard Klement, was born. Being 33 years younger than the Chancellor, the lovely Marie Antonie died ten days after giving birth to her son. After the death of his second wife, Chancellor Metternich married the Hungarian Countess Melania Zichy-Ferraris (next to the window). At that time, Metternich was 58 and the countess 26. They had 5 children, with only one daughter and two sons living into adulthood.
The Chancellor's Rococo desk stands in the middle of the room. The massive folding table was used during the Congress of Vienna which was held under Metternich's auspices. The participants in the Congress of Vienna can be seen in the engraving hanging on the wall to the right.
Richard’s Library
This library came into existence thanks to the Chancellor’s son and heir, Prince Richard Clement, around 1870. It contains almost 6.000 volumes. Thematically, late 19th century French and German books prevail here.
The wine-red mahogany bookcase is enhanced with a claret brocade tapestry. Inlaid with four kinds of polished wood, the floor is an example of accomplished craftsmanship. Above the fireplace there is Pope’s Pius VII. portrait. In the right rear corner of the room where you can see many white books, there is a hidden door. Being opened with a spring situated under the mahogany cornice, the door leads to the Malachite Chamber.
The library gives us an account of the wise and well-educated Prince Richard. His education was substantially influenced by the Austrian writer Adalbert Stifter, who was his private tutor. Later on, Richard studied in Vienna, Paris and London. Following in his famous father’s footsteps, he started his diplomatic career in 1850 and became a prominent diplomat of that time.
The Green Room
The name of this room is derived from its brocade wall papers. The room is enhanced with pseudo-Baroque gilded furniture and a crystal-glass chandelier. In the left corner there is a gilded bureau, the right corner is occupied by a white Rococo stove dating back to the 18th century.
The portraits on the walls represent some members of the Metternich-Winneburg family and then the reigning House of Habsburg. To the right of the door by the next room you can see a portrait of young Richard Metternich captured at the age of seven. Above the door there is a portrait of Maria Theresa; on the left you can see Elizabeth, known as Sissi. A portrait of her husband, Emperor Francis Joseph I, hangs on the opposite. Between the windows you can see their son, Crown Prince Rudolph.
On the tables below the windows there are three vases made of Meissen porcelain.
The Billiard Hall
Under the Chancellor, this room served as a dining hall origins of which can be traced to the old Baroque mansion. Initially set to the adjacent room, the Billiard Hall was established here at Prince Richard’s suggestion.
Your first sight is surely attracted by the huge Russian billiard table measuring 178 x 360 cm, which was presented to Chancellor Metternich by the Russian Tsar Nicholas I, along with cues and sixteen ivory balls. Above the table there is a unique Empire chandelier in the shape of fishermen’s scales, made in Holland around 1810. The mahogany playing tables and couches with cotton upholstery could have been presented to the Chancellor by the Russian Tsar as well. The tables were used for playing bridge, dominoes, chess, lotto, and the favourite card game whist.
Take note of the illusional painting on the ceiling, as well as the walls surfaces of which had been treated with enamel marbling. On the table between the windows you can see a 17th century inlaid jewel-box made of black stained wood and ebony.
The Great Hall
This parade hall is the largest room of this castle. In this room, prominent guests were received as early as under the Chancellor’s great-great-great-grandfather Philip Emmerich in 1691, this tradition being later observed by all his heirs within the main family line.
The hall is dominated by a replica of the sculpture “Amor and Psyché” by Antonio Canova, the most renowned Italian sculptor of the 19th century. This replica was made by the artist himself. To the right there is a larger than life portrait of the Russian Tsar Nicholas I. On the opposite wall there is a portrait of the Austrian Emperor Francis I as the Grandmaster of the Order of the Golden Fleece. The statue standing below the portrait represents Venus stepping out of the bath; to the right there is Psyche. The interior is completed with Empire furniture and a chandelier made of Czech crystal glass. The illusional painting on this ceiling of the room shows shields, which together make the Metternich family’s coat-of-arms. Here you can see shields of the Metternichs, Winneburgs and Beilsteins, as well as the shield of Ochsenhausen Monastery, the Habsburg coat-of-arms and the Order of the Golden Fleece.
The balcony windows overlook the English landscape park (almost 300 ha) surrounding the castle. In the park there are 10 ponds and many Romantic structures, for instance, a water-mill dating back from the late 18th century.
The Castle’s Dining Hall
Visitors can only have a look into this room. Under the Chancellor, this room housed a gallery of his ancestors. After 1870, the Chancellor’s son, Prince Richard, ordered the alteration of the room into a spacious wainscoted (wooden panelling on the lower part of the room-wall) dining hall, with the gallery still being preserved here even after that. The large painting above the fireplace represents the Chancellor’s most famous ancestor – Lothar of Metternich, Archbishop and Elector of Trier.
The gilded table service with mirror trays was made by Thomire Company in Paris. Prince Richard Metternich and his wife Pauline received it from the city of Paris as a farewell present in 1870. In the left cupboard there is a gilded porcelain service with cobalt adornments, made at Sevres near Paris.
The Dark (Smoker’s) Chamber - the Renaissance chamber
The most valuable items in this chamber date back to the Renaissance period. Four 1510 panels by the German painter Bernard Strigel are the most precious exhibits in this room. They depict the legend about finding the remains of the Holly Cross. The legend has it that the Holy Cross, used for the crucifixion of the Saviour, was found in Jerusalem by St. Helene, mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great. Constantine then set out to Jerusalem, bringing the Holy Cross by himself to the place where he subsequently founded the basilica of the Holy Cross. The first scene depicts Judas Iscariot revealing the whereabouts of the Holy Cross to St. Helene, the second panel shows Constantine the Great bearing the Holy Cross, the third panel represents Constantine’s procession through Jerusalem, and the last one shows Constantine’s death.
To the right on the wall there is a tapestry representing a hunting scene. It was made in France in the late 16th century. The sandstone fireplace of an Italian origin also dates back to the Renaissance period.
The Music Chamber
This room originally housed the owners’ private chambers. Currently, it reminds us of Prince Richard Metternich and his wife Princess Pauline. Richard's portrait can be seen on the wall, Pauline's one on the easel. Pauline was keen on arts and music. The exhibited grand piano used to belong to her. During her husband’s ambassadorial stint in Paris, she was instrumental in promoting Czech music, in particular the compositions by Bedrich Smetana. She also played an important role in introducing Richard Wagner to the court of the French Emperor Napoleon III. Richard Wagner rewarded her with a score which is now included in our collections.
On the cabinet between the windows there are plaster cast hands of Alexandre Dumas the Elder and her daughter Marie Alexandra, reminding us of the friendly relations of the Dumas family to Prince Richard and his wife Pauline. Through them, Kynzvart collections had been enhanced by acquiring a host of manuscripts by this author of The Three Musketeers, as well as some manuscripts and paintings by Marie Alexandre Dumas.
The Oriental Corridor
On the right side you can see a hand-woven Oriental carpet bearing a pattern of the Tree of Life. Made in Japan in the 16th, 17th and 18th century, the black polished wooden cases and jewel-boxes are lavishly inlaid with pearls and adorned with brass mountings. The exhibits also include Chinese and Japanese porcelain and other items, traditionally enhancing Oriental rooms of aristocratic residences. In the corner near the entrance you can see a 1550 grandfather clock with gold Oriental decorations. Made by Alfonso de la Bravo from Madrid, its case successfully imitates Chinese and Japanese products of similar art. On the wall opposite the window you can see a Persian calligraphy announcing that everything in the world is transient.
The Castle’s Armoury
This room in the north tower contains a collection of 220 edged weapons and firearms used between the 16th and 19th centuries. It includes various tucks, swords, sabres, halberds and parts of suits of armour.
Near the entrance door there is a sophisticated rifle serving simultaneously as a walking stick. Between the windows there is a special sword with jagged edge, enabling to cut asunder shafts of the enemies' spears. Warriors used to bear this spear on their shoulders. Next to this sword there is a hooded figure clad in a wire coat and trousers. This is a Romantic replica of a medieval warrior's attire.
In the centre of this room you can see three arquebuses. Their cast hook enabled the warrior to firmly prop this weapon. One of them bears the year 1546 and the coat-of-arms of the town of Cheb. On the walls and on the stands there are many hunting rifles lavishly inlaid with pearl and ivory.
Between northern windows there is a suit of armour of a Japanese samurai. To the left you can see a shooting target representing an imperial monument. By the way, this monument has been preserved in the castle park to date.
On the east wall there are seven military and duelling pistols; below them you can see a Hungarian magnate's sabre (a part of Metternich's inheritance). Next to the entrance door on the same wall you can see 17th century hunting crossbows from Cheb and Styria, as well as an ornamentally decorated iron stretcher.
Karl Huss-Exhibition I
From 1827 until his death in 1838, this chamber was lived in by Karl Huss, the first Custodian of Metternich’s museum. A portrait of Karl Huss and his 21 years older wife Sophie can be seen on the left wall.
Karl Huss was a highly interesting person. Originally, he was the last executioner of the town of Cheb, after having inherited this trade from his father and uncle. During his stay in Cheb, Karl Huss became a renowned local historian as well. In addition to writing a 4-volume Chronicle of Cheb, he founded his private museum in the Executioner’s House. That museum was visited by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, as well as by Chancellor Metternich. Childless and widowed, Karl Huss later searched for someone to convey his collections to. After striking a deal with Chancellor Metternich, he officially asked the local authority in Cheb to be relieved from his position and subsequently moved along with his collections to Kynzvart Castle.
The glass-case below the window contains the oldest guest books of the castle museum with signatures of some important persons of that time. The second glass-case shows the pharmacy and medical instruments of the Chancellor's personal doctor. They remind us of Karl Huss' another profession, namely, his practising traditional medicine. From his patients he allegedly demanded only old invalid coins, thereby laying foundations of his numismatic collection.
Karl Huss-Exhibition II
The glass-case below the window contains a copy of a page from the old guest book of Huss' museum in Cheb. Under the date of August 20, 1823, there is an entry signed by the Privy Councillor von Goethe. Karl Huss was also a talented draughtsman. Here you can see his colour drawing representing the landscape around Komorní Hůrka near Cheb. The glass-case on the left wall contains an executioner's axe, two executioner's swords and other instruments used by Huss' uncle and then by himself in Cheb. In the glass-cases on the right wall there are small pieces of wood and resins with Karl Huss' legends.
The Oratory and the Castle’s Chapel
In the oratory you can only see two exhibits; namely, a marble relief bearing the face of Suffering Christ made by an unknown artist, and an armchair the Prince used to sit in during divine services.
The chapel dates back to the Baroque mansion. In the course of the Classical remodelling, the original altar was presented to St. Anne’s chapel in the neighbouring village of Stara Voda. Made for Chancellor Metternich at Pope Gregory XVI’s suggestion, the new high altar contained remains of St. Boniface. Moreover, the dedication charter issued by the Pope awarded the altar various privileges. The main altar-piece representing the Vision of St. Antony of Padua was made by the Viennese painter Anton Petter in 1832. The white marble sculpture to the left of the altar represents the Guardian Angel with an Infant. The chapel is really the jewel of this castle. Currently, it mainly hosts wedding ceremonies.
The corridor in front of the chapel
Domestic staff used to sit in the white pews.
The Chancellor’s Library I
The Chancellor’s Library you have now entered ranks among the most significant libraries in the Czech Republic, containing more than 12,000 titles in 24,000 volumes. Among its 160 manuscripts there is a unique fragment of the Old Testament dating back to the late 8th century. 230 incunabula in 145 volumes represent the largest collection of incunabula (a book(s) printed before 1501) in the Czech Republic. It includes the Chronicle of Magdeburg, the French Chronicle, hand-written passages from the Old Testament, a manuscript by Lope de Vega and other literary monuments.
The library originated in two immensely precious book collections possessed by the Metternich family. Brought to Kynzvart by the Chancellor after 1828, they were being completed thanks to his acquisition. Officially, the library was founded on 1 January 1845. The most precious manuscripts and prints originated in the abolished library of the Benedictine monastery at Ochsenhausen (Swabia). Some exhibits initially belonged to the library of Lothar of Metternich, the Imperial Elector and Archbishop of Trier, the Chancellor's great-great-great-uncle. The books are mostly written in Latin, French and German, less frequently in English and Italian. Other languages appear only seldom.
In the centre of the hall there is a bust of the famous German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. On the left you can see a bust of Chancellor Metternich, while the bust on the right represents Emperor Francis I, his employer. On the low bookcases there are plaster models of the tombstones of Guiliano and Lorenzo Medici from the sacristy of St. Lorenzo’s church in Florence.
The Chancellor’s Library II
In the middle of the room there is a bronze bust of Homer, the author of the epics Iliad and Odyssey. Additionally, there are two glazed models of Greek temples, with the left one being made of plaster and the right one of cork. The mahogany rotary system at the back of the room on the right was used for keeping and studying graphic works. Above the entrance there are four portraits representing the best known members of the Italian Borgia family.
Paul´s Library – the latest library room
The latest library room contains books which used to belong to the pre-war owners of the castle. The 5.000 volumes mostly date back to the turn of the 20th century. The drawers originally contained a vast collection of coins, totalling almost 11.000 items, which are now kept in safes.
The Kynzvart domain had been owned by the princely Metternich family until 1945. For a short spell, the castle served as the headquarters of the 1st Infantry Unit of the 3rd U. S. Army commanded by Major-General Clift Andrus. The first post-war visitors came as early as 1947. In 1976, the site was closed due to a comprehensive reconstruction. The castle was partly reopened in July 1994. On 1 April 2000, the complete sightseeing tour was opened to the public. This state-owned site is administered and run by the State Institute of Cultural Heritage in Pilsen. All the funds necessary to cover the demanding reconstruction of Kynzvart Castle were provided by the state budget of the Czech Republic and by the PHARE programme of the European Union.
The Old Curiosity Cabinet
The Old Curiosity Cabinet – the castle museum of Kynzvart – ranks among the oldest public museums throughout Europe. At first glance you notice that the hall is literally crammed with exhibits. With their number totalling 2,000, it is impossible to examine them thoroughly during a standard tour.
In the case to the left of the door you can see various trinkets. In the left compartment there are plaster caricatures showing several statesmen from the time of Louis Napoleon III. Further, you can see a bomb and a dagger used to make an attempt on Emperor Louis Napoleon III’s life in 1858. In the right compartment of this case you can see various archaeological relics found in Egypt, Rome and Pompeii, for instance, a marble fragment from the Jerusalem Temple, or an Egyptian Canopic vase.
On the case there are native musical instruments from North Africa, as well as a rhinoceros’ horn. Under the ceiling you can see a Chinese parasol. Above the entrance door there are spears from Java, African bows, as well as clubs with shark teeth, coming from the Pacific islands. On the other case (to the right of the door) there are puppets wearing costumes of various nations. The first one from the left represents a Mexican wood-bearer, the next one a Spanish bullfighter.
Inside the case exhibits evoking memories of well-known persons of the 18th and 19th centuries prevail. On the rear wall there hang two children’s clothes; the pink one belonged to Prince Metternich and the yellow one to Don Carlos. On the first shelf there is a brass lyre with a medallion containing locks of hairs of Ludwig van Beethoven, Luigi Cherubini and Gaspar Spontini; as well as a reliquary with a fragment of Charles V’s coffin. In the lower part of the case (to the right) you can see a prayer book of the beheaded French Queen Marie Antoinette (spouse of Louis XVI). In the right compartment there are some technical curiosities, for instance a gilded paper tiara worn by Chinese brides, remains of an undersea telegraph cable, once laid down to the depths of the Atlantic Ocean to connect Europe to America, and a miniature book of Horatio’s verses.
Between the windows there is full Japanese samurai armour. Face mask and jewel were designed to intimidate the warrior’s enemies. In the centre of the room you can see Alexander Dumas’ writing desk. To the right of the desk there is a bronze sculpture representing sitting Chancellor Metternich. Behind, on the wall there hangs an Arabian water pipe. In the middle of the large case you can see a brown Arabian horse saddle.
Above the door to the Egyptian Cabinet you can see an original Australian boomerang. To the right of the door, on the low case, there is a model of the Monitor gunboat used during the American Civil War.
The Egyptian Cabinet
The Old Curiosity Cabinet also includes the Department of Egyptology. All exhibits were presented to Chancellor Metternich by the Egyptian Viceroy Muhmad Ali in 1828. In the larger black wooden coffin, adorned with a gilded mask and a gilded band bearing an ancient Egyptian inscription, there is a 3500-year-old mummy of Ken Amon, an Egyptian priest and guardian of Pharaoh Thutmosis III’s treasure (18th dynasty, 15th century B. C.). In the later brown coffin made of colourfully decorated wood a mummy of an Egyptian priest named Pentahutr rests.
The Empire case contains a collection of Old Egyptian idols and amulets, as well as three little mummies of Nilotic crocodiles. The emergence of Old Egyptian monuments and relics at Kynzvart coincided with the beginning of Egyptology at the turn of the 19th century. Moreover, the library at Kynzvart includes extremely valuable historic books covering this branch of study – for instance the 24-volume Description of Egypt – one of only two sets preserved throughout the Czech Republic, and the only one consisting of all 24 volumes.
Kynzvart Castle, CZ-35491 Lazne Kynzvart
Fax: (+420) 354 691 424 e-mail:
info@kynzvart.cz
Tel./Fax: (+420) 354 691 269 or 354 691 361