Nove Mesto nad Metuji was founded on 10 August 1501 on the rocky promontory. This location however has been settled even long time before in the period of Silesian-Platěnice Culture, even the Lausitz Culture, i.e. 800 to 1000 B.C. as documented based on finding of the bronze clip, cremation grave and massive finding of ceramic documenting abundance of local inhabitance.
Originally there were sectionized 31 townlets in the period of Jan Černčický, however this number later on did not respond to number of built houses. Even during first five years there were 55 and later on even 59 houses. Speed of construction works is documented by reports on active sales and purchases of houses even during first years of their construction.
No church and town hall were accounted for at first. Cerncicky lord let at will of his subjects, how big houses they build and how they equip them. Houses were even in front of the castle, therefore access to it was narrow and the castle was visible only partially from the square. The square was not empty before the fire. Except for meat shops in the south-eastern corner, where also a wooden school was located, there were also other constructions.
On 21 June, 1526 the town was destroyed by fire. Some incendiary ruins remained empty even for several years, however construction started immediately. At the beginning these were only provisional arrangements, so that agricultural work and handicraft may be continued. Jan Černčický provided wood for free, however he had not money for general reconstruction of the town. In 1527 he sold his manor to the Pernštejns.

Pernstejn Renaissance construction
Vojtěch of Pernštejn considered well how the renewed town should look. In the year 1528 he started to purchase some of incendiary ruins, mainly in front of the mansion. No houses were renewed in these places yet, since the owner wanted that wider space highlights the silhouette of the chateau. The new northern front had not more ten, but seven houses.
Basic construction of the town lasted five years. The lord’s builder erected before fronts of lots, with exception of already not built houses No.1244 and 1245, four continuous, uniformly solved front walls. In the overall construction there were built four walls and there were arcades added to them.
Above the attic there was erected continuous row of connected gables, which consisted of middle, semicircularly concluded higher parts. These had at sides two lower parts, concluded by the quarter circle, so called swallow tails. This is how the town obtained appearance of north-Italian, Venetian Renaissance.
As by some spell divine all the construction chaos disappeared and the place became the palace courtyard for the chateau, in which the Pernštejns rebuilt the castle of Černčický. Both the dominants of the town, the church and the chateau, were stressed even more.

Building of houses
The spectacular front was already erected and the building activity still continued behind it. The bourgeois connected their houses to the front wall. They had to pay for this part of the house to the Pernštejns for fifteen years.
Italian builders tried to connect Renaissance with late Gothic and, which was positive, they were open to local traditions. Arcades are Renaissance also due to their proportions, low cylindrical pillars enlarge downwards, where they are even strengthened with trunks. Arch spans are considerable. This is why arcades obtained luminosity and availability.
Fight of Gothic with Renaissance can be also seen on the house portals. Vaulting is exceptional. Profiling of terracotta window linings attracts deserved attention. You can find similar one also in Pardubice. This unification and typification shows, that it was built based on prefabricates.
At two houses there are inscriptions in linings of entrances. In No. 1221 in the east side you can find the year 1531. The entire inscription is: “1531 Jakub, income” (the next word is illegible) “of Bohdaneč, Markyta of Česká Třebová” and oak leaves in the heraldry. The illegible word is probably erroneously interpreted as a “scribe”. In the southern front at No. 1231 you can find the inscription “Sir Waczlaw 1534”. These are dates of termination of the house renovation.
Nowadays the most beautiful is the northern side of the square, where facades and gables were put returned in the original condition. Their unification is partially disturbed by the house No. 1209, the town hall with the tower, since it was built as the two-storey building. On the western side four houses were not renovated and therefore nowadays the last house has No. 1245, the hotel Brouček. There was not money for the parsonage and the school. The suzerains strengthened defense of the chateau and of the town by the gun bastion in 1532.
The elementary ground plan was kept at renovation of the town. Between ramparts and farm buildings there was established, together with courtyards, also wider space, which as the backhouse space makes circle round the whole square.
After the Pernštejns’ construction there were altogether 39 houses in the square. This construction was however so magnificent that the town did not change considerably in after it in the ramparts.

Castle with wooden covered bridge Visitors of the castle first notice the gnome sculptures, the work of Matyáš Braun. They precede the rich decorations of the castle interior. The castle originates probably in the 16th century and was adapted several times. It gained its final form at the beginning of the 20th century from the hands of the architect Dusan Jurkovic. The interiors will take you back to the time of Art Nouveau and decorativeness. Original chateau interiors in the styles of secession, art deco, cubism and functionalism with valuable equipment and art collections. Well-preserved renaissance wall paintings and baroque stucco.
April, October in Sat, Sun, state and other holidays (non-working days) 9:00-16:00 (with guide) May, June, September in except Mon 9:00-16:00 (with guide) July, August 9:00-17:00 (with guide) year-round all day (only to order)

NE from Prague – 2,5hours
Trip :
1) Nove Mesto nad Metuji medieval town and castle trip number NNE12 – 8hour round trip
Trips combinations:
2) Nove Mesto nad Metuji trip number NNE12 + Kuks and Betlehem NNE1 - 9hour round trip
3)Nove Mesto nad Metuji trip number NNE12 + Hradek NNE1 - 10 hour round trip
4)Nove Mesto nad Metuji trip number NNE12 + Hradec Kralove town NNE7 - 9 hour round trip
3)Nove Mesto nad Metuji trip number NNE12 + Opocno NNE4 - 10 hour round trip
4)Nove Mesto nad Metuji trip number NNE12 + ZOO Dvur Kralove NNE10 - 9 hour round trip
5)Nove Mesto nad Metuji trip number NNE12 + Castolovice NNE3 - 9 hour round trip
6)Nove Mesto nad Metuji trip number NNE12 + Josefov fortress NNE6 - 9 hour round trip
7)Nove Mesto nad Metuji trip number NNE12 + Nachod castle trip number NNE11 - 10 hour round trip
8)Nove Mesto nad Metuji trip number NNE12 + Hradek NNE1 + Hradec Kralove town NNE7 - 11 hour round trip
9)Nove Mesto nad Metuji trip number NNE12 + Castolovice NNE3 + Hradec Kralove town NNE7 - 11 hour round trip
10)Nove Mesto nad Metuji trip number NNE12 + Kuks NNE1 + Josefov fortress NNE6 - 11 hour round trip
11)Nove Mesto nad Metuji trip number NNE12 + Opocno NNE4 + Hradec Kralove town NNE7 - 12 hour round trip
12)Nove Mesto nad Metuji trip number NNE12 + Nachod castle trip number NNE11 + Hradec Kralove town NNE7 - 13 hour round trip
13)Nove Mesto nad Metuji trip number NNE12 + Castolovice NNE3 + Hradek NNE1 - 11 hour round trip
14)Nove Mesto nad Metuji trip number NNE12 + Kuks NNE1 + Hradek NNE1 - 11 hour round trip
15)Nove Mesto nad Metuji trip number NNE12 + Kuks NNE1 + Litomysl town and chateau NNE5 - 13 hour round trip
16)Nove Mesto nad Metuji trip number NNE12 + Kuks NNE1 + Castolovice NNE3 - 11hour round trip
17)Nove Mesto nad Metuji trip number NNE12 + Kuks NNE1 + Josefov fortress NNE6 - 13hour round trip
18)Nove Mesto nad Metuji trip number NNE12 + Kuks NNE1 + Litomysl town and chateau NNE5 - 13 hour round trip
19)Nove Mesto nad Metuji trip number NNE12 + Opocno NNE4 + Litomysl town and chateau NNE5 - 12 hour round trip
20)Nove Mesto nad Metuji trip number NNE12 + Kuks NNE1 - 10 hour round trip
21)Nove Mesto nad Metuji trip number NNE12 + Nachod NNE11 - 10 hour round trip
22)Nove Mesto nad Metuji trip number NNE12 + Kuks NNE1 + Nachod NNE11 - 12 hour round trip
23)Nove Mesto nad Metuji trip number NNE12 + Kuks NNE1 + ZOO Dvur Kralove nad Labem NNE7 - 13 hour round trip
24)Nove Mesto nad Metuji trip number NNE12 + Wroclaw CA5 - 14 hour round trip

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