Křídlo: A Gothic Castle Ruin in Czechia
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.2
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- Czechia
- Primary era
- Medieval
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Holy Roman Empire, Kingdom of Bohemia, Margraviate of Moravia
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Castle
History
Křídlo is a Gothic castle ruin in Czechia, near Brusné in the Hostýn Hills. It was probably built during the first half of the 14th century, when Gothic architecture, known for its stone construction and vertically emphasized forms, dominated medieval Europe.
The first written mention dates to 1365. In that year, Vlk of Dobrotice, the son of Záviš of Dobrotice, sold the already existing castle to William of Kunštát and his heirs. Křídlo remained in use until the late 1470s, when it was destroyed by the forces of Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary from 1458 to 1490, during the Bohemian–Hungarian Wars. When the estate was sold in 1481, Křídlo was already described as a ruin. The surviving remains have been protected as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic since 1973, a status granted to heritage sites for their historical, artistic, or architectural value.
Remains
Křídlo survives as a Gothic castle ruin with masonry remains on the prominent northeastern spur of Barvínek Hill. The site stands at an elevation of 504 metres above the Rusava valley, less than one kilometre south of Brusné. Its position on the hill spur forms the principal surviving physical context for the fragmentary castle remains.
