1417 CZECH REPUBLIC (Zlin) - Gardens and Castle at Kroměříž (UNESCO WHS)

Inhabited by slavs from the 7th century, Kroměříž was founded in 1260 by Bruno von Schauenburg, bishop of Olomouc, six years later being already called a town. Bruno chose it to become his see, he made his castle the centre of his dominion in Moravia, and also established what was to become the famous Archbishop's Palace. The town was badly damaged in the Thirty Years' War, was plundered twice by Swedish troops (1643 and 1645), after this the Black Death came. Bishop Karl II von Liechtenstein-Kastelkorn rebuilt the city and the palace after the war.

Now, the town's main landmark is the Baroque Kroměříž Bishop's Palace, where some scenes from Amadeus (1984) and Immortal Beloved (1994) were filmed. The Palace and the Flower Garden in Kroměříž were added by UNESCO to the list of World Heritage Sites in 1998. According to UNESCO, "the Gardens and Castle at Kroměříž are an exceptionally complete and well-preserved example of a princely residence and its associated landscape of the 17th and 18th centuries. The ensemble, and in particular the pleasure garden, played a significant role in the development of Baroque garden and palace design in central Europe."

The first residence on the site was founded in 1497 in a Late Gothic style, but during the Thirty Years' War the castle was sacked. It was not until 1664 that a bishop charged architect Filiberto Lucchese with renovating the palace in a Baroque style. Upon Lucchese's death, Giovanni Pietro Tencalla completed the work in a style reminiscent of the Turinese school. The palace houses also an art collection, considered the second finest in the country, which includes Titian's last mythological painting, The Flaying of Marsyas.

About the stamps

The first stamp, Krtek on Rocket, is the 2013 stamp in the "For Children" series. Issued on May 29, 2013, it commemorates Zdeněk Miler (1921-2011), Czech director and author of children’s cartoons who created the popular Krtek or Krteček (The Mole or The Little Mole) character.

The second stamp is part of the series Czech Cars, about which I wrote here.

References
Gardens and Castle at Kroměříž - UNESCO official website
Kroměříž - Wikipedia
Kroměříž Archbishop's Palace - Wikipedia
Kroměříž - Kroměříž's official website

Sender: Emil / Emilio (postcrossing) CZ-578002
Sent from Kroměříž (Zlin / Czech Republic), on 14.01.2015
Photo: J. Somberg