Litomyšl

Did You Know?

• The I/35 road (part of European route E442) runs through Litomyšl.
• Litomyšl is the starting point of a railway line to Choceň and has three train stations and stops.
• The largest fishpond in the municipal territory is Velký Košíř, northwest of the town.

History

The first written mention of Litomyšl is from 981, a record in Chronica Boemorum mentioning the death of Duke Slavník. It began as a protective fortified settlement of the Slavník dynasty principality on a trade route from Bohemia to Moravia. In 1259, King Ottokar II promoted it to a town. Over the centuries, it was owned by families including Kostka of Postupice, Pernštejn, Trauttmansdorff, Waldstein-Wartemberg, and Thurn und Taxis. The castle was built in 1568–1581 by the Pernštejns. From 30 April 1344 until 1474, the town was the seat of the Latin Catholic Diocese of Litomyšl, later merged into the Diocese of Prague; in 1970 it was restored as a titular see. A congregation of the Unitas Fratrum was documented in 1490, protected by the Kostka family, and the Brethren operated a printing press there. After the Schmalkaldic War, bishop Jan Augusta was captured in 1548 and the Brethren were expelled. In the 19th century, Litomyšl remained a cultural and educational centre. Until 1918 it was part of Austria-Hungary. A Jewish community existed from at least the late 16th century; the last families were deported in 1942.

Culture

Since 1946, the town has hosted Smetanova Litomyšl, an annual classical music festival named after native composer Bedřich Smetana. The Litomyšl Castle Vault Gallery holds a permanent exhibition of sculptures and art by Olbram Zoubek. Until the late 19th century, a local Czech variety called Teták was spoken, characterised by a sound change where bilabial consonants became alveolars before front vowels.

Sights

The main landmark is Litomyšl Castle, one of the largest Renaissance castles, added to the UNESCO list in 1999. Its precincts include the birthplace of Bedřich Smetana, a carriage house, stables, riding school, castle brewery, castle park, and a French-style garden. Next to the castle is the Piarist college with the Church of the Finding the Holy Cross and monastery gardens, now a town park with sculptures by Olbram Zoubek. The elongated square, nearly 500 m long, features a Gothic-origin town hall and Renaissance and Baroque houses with arcades. The house U Rytířů, built 1540–1546, has a notable stone façade.