Točník is a castle ruin located above the village of the same name in the Beroun District of the Central Bohemian Region. It is situated on Zámecký Hill, about 1.5 kilometers north of the town of Žebrák in the Beroun District. The castle is protected as a cultural monument and, together with the ruins of Žebrák, as a national cultural monument. The castle was founded by King Wenceslas IV at the end of the 14th century. Since the Hussite Wars, when it successfully withstood a brief siege in 1425, the castle was mostly held by pledge holders, including the Kolovrat family, the Lords of Gutštejn, and the Vartenberk family, who modified it in the late Gothic style. Further modifications in the Renaissance style were made by the Lobkowicz family. Under their ownership, the castle was minimally maintained but gradually began to deteriorate. Its decline was hastened by the Thirty Years' War, and during the 17th century, the castle was definitively abandoned and gradually fell into ruin. Among Czech castles, Točník is one of the structures that reached the qualitative threshold of transformation from a castle to a chateau. Its dominant features are two partially preserved palaces, one of which housed the second largest castle hall in Bohemia. The smaller royal palace stands unusually on the most vulnerable side of the castle and, in addition to its high-quality architectural details, is exceptional for the number of exits, allowing easy escape from both the palace and the castle. The castle is open to the public during visiting hours. The castle moat serves as a bear sanctuary, where brown bears Martin and Agáta, born on January 13, 2013, in Žatec and featured in the TV series Méďové na cestách, are kept. Every year, an event called "Under the Sign of the Chalice" is held at the castle. History Archaeological research in 1999 confirmed the existence of settlement on the summit of Zámecký Hill during the Hallstatt period. It is likely that a fortification stood here, but its possible fortifications cannot be distinguished from the ramparts of the medieval castle without further research. Wenceslas IV Točník Castle was founded in the last quarter of the 14th century by King Wenceslas IV. The motive for its construction is associated with the fire of the older Žebrák Castle in 1395, but according to František Záruba, construction began as early as the 1380s. The exact date of its commencement is not known, but by 1398 the king was already residing at the castle. Fortification work continued in 1400, and the following year, the king issued the first charter with privileges for České Budějovice at Točník. According to Dobroslava Menclová, Wenceslas IV built the castle as a remote and secure retreat during a critical period of his reign, where he could indulge in feasting and hunting in the surrounding forests. However, Tomáš Durdík characterized Točník as a structure that, together with Krakovec, reached the qualitative boundary between a castle and a chateau, where defensive features were significantly reduced. This was evident in the placement of the palace on the easily threatened front side of the castle or the exclusion of the water source from the castle. The only modern defensive element was the construction of the first courtyard, where the access road sharply turned and which foreshadowed later barbicans. In 1400, Točník, along with Žebrák, Karlštejn, and Křivoklát, was among the castles that Wenceslas IV was supposed to hand over to his brother Sigismund, which the monarch refused. After the king's capture, Sigismund took over the castles, but Margrave Prokop negotiated the return of at least Točník and Žebrák to him. In 1405, Wenceslas IV annexed the village of Bzová to Točník, whose inhabitants were tasked with guard duty at the castle, bringing water and wood to the castle kitchen and a chamber, and cleaning the courtyard. In return, they were entitled to refreshments, the right to collect dry wood in the forests, and exemption from all payments. The first castellan at Točník was Bohuše of Drahkov, who received payments from several monasteries and towns amounting to 800 groschen from the king in 1404. In 1412, he received an additional thirteen plots of land near Hostomice. He held the office for at least another four years. Although the king avoided any political activities at Točník, in 1409 the castle hosted negotiations between the Czech and German factions of the Prague University before the election of a new rector. In 1412, a meeting between Jan Hus and Štěpán of Páleč took place at the castle, where they unsuccessfully debated their dispute over papal indulgences. However, according to Miloslav Bělohlávek, the meeting with Jan Hus took place at Žebrák. Kolovrat Family From 1413, Wenceslas IV began to favor the New Castle at Kunratice and lost interest in Točník. When he died, Sigismund of Luxembourg briefly visited Točník and Žebrák in June 1420. The following year, he pledged both castles to Erkinger of Seinsheim, the ancestor of the Schwarzenberg family, as a reward for arming and maintaining an army. Erkinger planned to marry his daughter Eliška to Bedřich of Kolovrat, and on May 14, 1421, he concluded a prenuptial agreement, part of which was the transfer of the pledge of both castles to Bedřich. By July 7, 1421, the brothers Bedřich and Hanuš of Kolovrat were already exercising patronage rights over the church in Cerhovice. During the Hussite Wars, the Hussite army besieged Žebrák and Točník in 1425 with a force of 900 cavalry and 7,000 infantry. The siege lasted three days. Both castles defended themselves, but the Hussites burned down the towns of Žebrák and Hořovice. In 1427, the castle's military commander became Habart of Adlar. In 1433, Erkinger of Seinsheim and his son Heřman definitively decided to cede Točník and Žebrák to the Kolovrat family. Although this formally occurred in 1437, the actual handover took place on June 8, 1430. At that time, an inventory of the castle's food and weapons supplies was made. The castle then housed four cannons (guns), three bombards, five handguns, eleven arquebuses, and two broken arquebuses. The ammunition consisted of several barrels of gunpowder, three hundredweight of lead bullets, and numerous arrows. The food supplies included five half-barrel kegs of old beer, a half-barrel keg, a half-measure of peas, two pigs, thirty dried fish, butter worth twelve groschen, and a pound of pepper. The cellar stored eleven hams, four stones of salt, and three spits of dried meat. At an unspecified time, the Kolovrat family was confirmed in their pledge ownership of the castle by Emperor Sigismund, with the condition that if the monarch wished to redeem it, they must immediately surrender the castles. After his father's death, Hanuš II of Kolovrat became the lord of the castle, from whom King George of Poděbrady sought to redeem it. He probably did not want significant castles (including Žebrák) to remain in the hands of a Catholic lord. Hanuš delayed surrendering the castle, and his obligation was taken over by the king's sons Boček, Viktorín, Jindřich, and Hynek, to whom the monarch transferred the pledge on July 7, 1461. The estate was then taken over by Bedřich of Šumburk, lord of Perštejn, who remained loyal to the king despite his Catholic faith. Gutštejn Family Bedřich managed the Žebrák estate until 1475, but in 1484 Burian II of Gutštejn became the lord of Točník. After Burian's death, the Žebrák and Točník estates were inherited by his son Kryštof of Gutštejn. In 1509, he was sentenced by the land court in absentia for numerous violent acts. He complied with the court's decision and only sought a pardon after the land army was convened against him. It was only then that he handed over the castles of Žebrák, Točník, Příbram, Rabštejn, and Sychrov to King Vladislav. The monarch paid approximately half of their value, and the funds for its payment were raised by a special tax. In August 1509, the king visited Žebrák and Točník. Jan Kozelka of Hřivice served as captain in 1515. Sixteenth Century After King Vladislav's death, Zdeněk Lev of Rožmitál claimed the Točník estate, having previously lent 7,789 groschen to the king. Probably in 1517, he therefore received the estate in pledge and owned it until 1522, when it was redeemed by Jan of Vartenberk for 850 groschen. Until then, the pledge holders primarily exploited the revenues from the wealthy estate but neglected the Točník castle itself. Therefore, Jan of Vartenberk was granted permission to spend up to 750 groschen on repairs and an additional 500 on digging a well. During the modifications, a new path and a western gate were constructed, using architectural elements from the old eastern gate, which was thus abolished. Stables were built along the eastern wall of the courtyard near the well. In 1534, Jan of Vartenberk transferred the pledge right to Volf the Elder of Krajíř, who immediately handed it over to his relative Volf the Younger of Krajíř. He also requested permission to carry out repairs worth 500 groschen in 1538. Volf Krajíř transferred the Točník estate on October 31, 1544, to Jan the Younger of Valdštejn. The new owner successfully requested permission to repair the castle for 500 groschen again in 1549. A year later, he also redeemed part of the estate previously pledged by Kryštof of Gutštejn to the Pešík family of Komárov. King Ferdinand I redeemed the Točník estate from the pledge in 1552, but on September 19 of the same year, he pledged it again to Jan the Elder of Lobkowicz and Zbiroh for 12,375 groschen, with permission to carry out repairs at Točník for 250 groschen. Jan later asked the king to allow him to buy Točník into hereditary ownership to add it to his Zbiroh estate, which the king granted on April 23, 1557. At that time, the estate included the town of Žebrák, the town of Cerhovice, and the villages of Zdice, Chlustina, Hředle, Vranovice, Trubín, Černín, Chodouň, Záluží, Bavoryně, Sedlec, Zahořany, Rajov, Trubská, Bublov, Drozdov, Třenice, Nesvačily, Bzová, Březová, Tlustice, Olešná, and several other estates, deserted villages, payments, and smaller properties. The contract included hunting rights and limited timber harvesting in the Křivoklát forests. Jan of Lobkowicz had the castle itself modified. The largest changes were made to the large courtyard with the palace, which was divided by a transverse wall. The transverse wall also divided the large hall, and the large Gothic windows were lowered. The wooden cladding was removed from the living quarters on the first floor. The exterior plaster was decorated with Renaissance sgraffito. The renovation was completed in 1567. After his father's death in 1569, the Točník estate was inherited by his son Jan V Popel of Lobkowicz. On July 20, 1578, his daughter Eva was married to Adam of Šternberk at Točník. Jan V of Lobkowicz died in 1590, and the Točník estate was inherited by his brothers Bohuslav Havel, Jiří, and Ladislav. However, the Točník estate was to be used by the widow Markéta until her death, for which the brothers paid forty thousand Meissen groschen in compensation, and they divided the Točník estate among themselves. The Točník castle went to Bohuslav Havel. Bohuslav Havel wanted to exchange Točník with Emperor Rudolf II for another property, but the exchange never took place. Childless Bohuslav instead left Točník to Ladislav, who assumed part of his brother's debts on February 12, 1593. Ladislav gave Točník and other property (Felixburg, the Ředhošť estate, Drahoňův Újezd, Biskoupky, Popovice, and the Monastery of Zaječov) to his wife Magdalena of Salm on September 9, 1593. However, he became embroiled in the affair of his brother Jiří, as a result of which he lost all his property and had to flee the country. The emperor soon took over the Zbiroh estate, but Točník only came into his possession after the death of Bohuslav Havel in 1597. Instead of Točník, Magdalena received the estates of Felixburg, Poláky, Martiněves, Ředhošť, a house in Malá Strana, and approximately 8,500 Meissen groschen. In 1600, the emperor stayed overnight at Točník on his way to Plzeň. The castle was not adequately equipped for the emperor's visit, so equipment had to be brought from various places in the area. The request of Captain Pavel Siglerovský in 1607 to equip the castle was denied. Seventeenth Century At the beginning of the Thirty Years' War, there were only three cannons at Točník. In 1620, the royal chamber ordered Captain Siglerovský to obtain ammunition and man the castle with a garrison. However, later that same year, imperial troops stormed the castle, and the soldiers broke windows, doors, and other interior furnishings. An inventory from 1628 recorded three cannons, ninety iron balls for them, and fourteen muskets. In 1639, the surrounding countryside was ravaged by Swedish troops. Jiří Malovec of Chýnov and Jince requested permission to store grain at the castle, and it is likely that the castle served as a refuge for other residents as well. In early 1641, four cannons were placed at the castle, and a garrison of about thirty musketeers was stationed there. In connection with the anticipated battle, the castle well was restored. On July 28, 1642, the town of Žebrák officially requested permission to use the castle as a refuge, which the royal chamber granted. The poor condition of the castle was described by Zbiroh captain Jan Kolenec of Kolna, who noted in 1637 that bad roofs were causing the collapse of walls in some rooms. The following year, a storm damaged the roofs, and the captain estimated the necessary repairs at two hundred Meissen groschen. The repairs were carried out in 1641 when Točník was used as a prison for dangerous criminals. The use of the castle by the burghers of Žebrák had a negative impact on its condition. Captain Kolenec complained in September 1642 that two thousand cartloads of manure lay in the castle, which the burghers refused to remove. Eventually, the castle was closed to them. The last military garrison was placed at Točník by the Pilsen captain after the capture of Prague in 1648. It consisted of a freeholder and several musketeers, but after a few weeks, they were reassigned, taking two cannons from the castle. By 1674, only a gatekeeper lived at the castle, and Točník was still habitable during Bohuslav Balbín's visit in 1681. The last minor repairs were carried out by Zbiroh captain Nikodým Presl between 1686 and 1689, but the roofs were so dilapidated that the walls were leaking. The authorities did not allow the repair of the thousands of damaged shingles. Modern History In the 18th century, Točník was twice pledged: from 1705 to Karel Přehořovský of Kvasejovice and Konopiště and from 1710 to 1723 to Prince Adam of Liechtenstein. In 1864–1865, the Zbiroh estate, including Točník, was acquired by Bethel Henry Strousberg, but in 1875 he sold it to the Colloredo-Mansfeld family for 3,500,000 florins. In 1923, Točník was bought from Josef Colloredo-Mansfeld by the Czechoslovak Tourist Club for two thousand crowns, which carried out security work and unsympathetic interior alterations (e.g., concrete floors in the palaces). In 1945, the castle became the property of the Czechoslovak Sokol Organization and in 1953 of the Czechoslovak state. From 1994, the castle was managed by the contributory organization State Castles of the Křivoklát Region, from January 1, 2001, by the Central Bohemian Monument Institute based in Prague, and from January 2003 by the National Monument Institute. In the castle moat, brown bears Martin and Agáta, born on January 13, 2013, in Žatec, are kept. Reconstruction of the Royal Palace In 2007, the reconstruction of the Royal Palace's roof began with the help of a special wooden crane of medieval construction. This was assembled under the supervision of carpenter Petr Růžička and designer Vít Mlázovský based on an illustration from the Bible of Wenceslas IV. The crane, capable of lifting loads up to one ton, was raised to a height of 20 meters and mounted on the crown of the wall using two treadmill wheels powered by human strength. In addition to its experimental aspect, this solution had a practical purpose, as Točník Castle would have been very difficult to access with modern heavy construction equipment.