The palace hall – this is where guests waited for their announcement. On one side, the butler’s room – the interior looks as if the man had just left the room. Opposite, a huge ballroom with original wooden floors and a red carpet, marking the path for visitors. The room is dominated by magnificent crystal chandeliers – they are not original, a gift from Miloš Forman, who filmed “Amadeus” here.
The exquisite ballroom begins a series of furnished rooms that allow the imagination to easily transport us back in time. Salons, where social gatherings were held, game rooms (separate for women and men), and finally bedrooms, alcoves, and a representative dining room, where Franz Joseph I himself feasted.
Next to the splendor and aristocratic polish, a small kitchen, with a bed for the maid and a small door in the corner. Where do they lead? This is the passage through which the maid carried wood for the nobles’ fireplaces. Leaning, she walked from one room to another through a corridor filled with smoke and soot. She was supposed to be quiet and invisible, so as not to irritate the lords with her sight.
The palace in Litomysl easily transports us back in time, shows the splendor of the aristocracy, whose jewels and wealth can be impressive, but notices that right next to it, behind the scenes of the glitter, there were people, much more numerous, who had to be at every beck and call from dawn to dusk. The monument has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1999. It is considered one of the best examples of a Renaissance arcade castle in the world.
My history-loving soul loves museums like the palace in Limotysl – places where the imagination, unbidden, sets the wheels in motion and transports us through time. But I have to admit that when the guide spoke of the palace theatre as the greatest pearl of the place, I was a bit skeptical. A stage and chairs – what could be so interesting about a theatre? Well… a lot!
The theatre space itself made quite an impression on me, especially since we could sit in the audience benches, the same ones that the nineteenth-century audience, the townspeople and the clergy, would sit in. Above, there are boxes intended for the aristocracy. One of them is accessed through a passage from the stage, because the owners of the castle took part in the performances and after playing their part, they returned to the box to follow the rest of the play. Hand-painted scenography, which was changed depending on the place of action, which was served by a cleverly constructed mechanism.
The theatre was lit by candles, so there was space on the sides for people whose only job was to watch the hall and make sure that no one or nothing started a fire. The theatre still hosts performances several times a year.
Although initially, deep down, I was skeptical about the theatrical pearl, sitting in the audience, I was once again struck by the ubiquitous particles of art in Litomyśl, this time theatrical and pictorial. The atmosphere of this place made me fully understand why the guide called it the most precious treasure of the palace.
When visiting, as the Czechs say, the castle in Litomyšl, it is worth taking a look at the Baroque Church of the Discovery of the Holy Cross. The church survived four fires and the communist era. It was only after the change of system that it was renovated. What distinguishes this church from other buildings of this type? After the renovation, modern elements were introduced here, which were incorporated into the historical interior of the church. A metal column floats above the presbytery, which at night is transformed into a cross by lasers. There is also a black mirror plate in the shape of a circle, hiding the entrance to the crypt – a symbol of the smooth surface of water that hides the depths.
On the first floor there is an exhibition “Angels on the Hill”, where you can see various representations of these creatures: from frivolous to worried to angry. Climbing even higher, we will come out to a terrace between the two towers of the church, from which there is a wonderful view of Litomyśl.
In the summer, the church can be visited at night, which I highly recommend. The illuminations that have been prepared and the church corners at this time of day create a unique atmosphere.
Every self-respecting castle has its white lady, knight errant or other ghost, meanwhile the palace in Litomysl has its own 5G. And no, we are not talking about mobile network standards here, but about knightly virtues, the symbols of which are placed on the castle facade in the inner courtyard. Legend has it that whoever finds all the letters “G” will be blessed with life’s happiness.
When we leave the palace gates, it is enough to take a dozen or so steps to find ourselves in front of the house, or rather the building of the former brewery, where Bedřich Smetana was born and spent his first years of childhood – one of the most outstanding Czech composers. The author of operas, symphonic poems, choral, piano and orchestral pieces. Since 1946, Litomysl has hosted the largest, regular classical music festival in the Czech Republic, “Smetanova Litomysl”, which takes place in the last days of June and the first days of July.
I had the pleasure of participating in the festival in honor of Bedřich Smetana, when one of his most popular operas, “The Bartered Bride”, was performed on stage. It was a wonderful experience that I recommend to everyone. The singers cast in the main roles presented a high vocal level, and the flawless orchestra spun a story written in notes that bore traces of Czech folklore. Perhaps only in the Czech Republic can you hear in the opera that “beer is a gift from heaven” and see actors passing mugs of the golden liquid among the audience.
Music surrounds Litomyśl like an additional layer of atmosphere. Just as the Earth has a mesosphere, stratosphere and troposphere, Litomyśl has its own music. However, the particles of art floating in the air here are not only sounds, they are also paint, which was used in an unusual way in this city.
What an unusual way of using paint? To find out, you have to visit the house of the customs officer – Josef Portman, called Portmoneum after him. Every inch of the walls here is covered with paintings by Josef Váchal. Dark paintings, full of vivid colors and saturated with symbols: from Christian to Masonic and occult. Portmoneum made a huge impression on me, my eyes absorbed every detail of these paintings, and there really were a lot of them. In a perverse way, this customs officer’s cottage, somewhere in a Czech town, reminded me of the Sistine Chapel.
Josef Váchal had a very specific, unique way of painting, which is a mixture of Art Nouveau ideas with expressionism and primitivism – in other words: a style that cannot be copied. Although thoroughly colourful, and the artist uses bright colours, there is something dark about it, and in the case of Portmoneum, overwhelming and fascinating at the same time. It is only a few rooms, but the number of paintings, symbols and various references means that you can spend a lot of time there. However, I recommend using the audio guide, also available in Polish, because without it many details can escape us.
On the walls of the Portmoneum we will see biblical scenes, right next to quotes from the Mahabharata (an ancient Hindu epic). We will see the Virgin Mary right next to occult and Masonic symbols. We will also see a swastika here – an Indian symbol of the sun, prosperity and protection, if her arms are directed to the right. The left-sided swastika is a symbol of night, evil and magic. Angels and devils dance their uninterrupted dance on the walls, furniture and ceilings, and the rooms look like from a dream or a nightmare – depending on which scene you look at. Above the door is the Latin inscription “Salus nunc abeuntibusi”, which can be translated as “Farewell to those who are no longer” or “Glory to those who are leaving”.
When in Litomysl, it is impossible not to come across the local market square with a very unusual shape. It is 500 meters long and is one of the longest in the Czech Republic. The market square was built in the former riverbed, the shape of which has not been changed, hence its very specific appearance.
The beginnings of Litomysl date back to the 10th century, and in the 13th century it received city rights. When a bishopric was established here in the 14th century, Litomysl began to develop rapidly, reaching the peak of its splendor in the 16th century. However, numerous floods and fires led to the decline of the city’s importance. Conflagrations occurred here so often that the Czechs had a saying: “it burns like Litomysl”.
Litomyśl is an inconspicuous town that hides a lot of interesting places and attractions, while providing peace and an atmosphere of relaxation. These are ideal places for those who want to experience art with every particle of their body.