Konopiste Castle

Konopiste Castle - Zámek Konopiště, Benesov, Central Bohemian Region, Czech Republic.

Konopiště was founded around 1294—likely by Bishop Tobias of Benešov—near Benešov, the family seat of the House of Benešov; it was modeled after French fortresses, featuring cylindrical towers, an outer ward, four gates, and a drawbridge.
Following the extinction of the Benešov line, Konopiště passed into the hands of the Sternberg family in 1327, remaining with them for 275 years. Between the 17th and 19th centuries, ownership of the estate changed hands among several influential noble families, including the Hodějovskýs of Hodějov, Albrecht von Wallenstein (briefly, after the Battle of White Mountain), the Michnas of Vacínov, the Vrtbas of Vrtba, the Lobkowiczes, and others.
The first alterations to the castle's medieval structure were carried out in the late 15th century by Jiří of Sternberg, followed by further modifications in the early 17th century by the Hodějovskýs of Hodějov. In the 18th century, the Vrtba family transformed Konopiště into a Baroque residence.
In 1887, Archduke Franz Ferdinand d'Este—who became heir to the imperial throne in 1896—purchased the château and the entire estate from the Lobkowicz family. The Archduke had the château rebuilt in a historicist style and transformed the surrounding grounds into a landscape park. He established a Rose Garden with greenhouses on the site of the former Baroque garden. He housed his extensive collections within the château—acquisitions gained partly through inheritance from his Italian ancestors and partly through his own collecting efforts. In June 1914, Franz Ferdinand participated in Austrian army maneuvers in Bosnia; on June 28, 1914, he and his wife Sophie were assassinated in Sarajevo by the Serbian anarchist Gavrilo Princip. One month after the assassination, the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I declared war on Serbia.
In 1921, the Czechoslovak state took over Konopiště from the Archduke's heirs, and the château and its park were partially opened to the public. During World War II, the headquarters of SS units was located at Konopiště.
After the liberation, Konopiště was once again opened to the public.
The château has been preserved to this day in the form it acquired during its final renovation under Archduke Franz Ferdinand d'Este. Its interior furnishings have also remained largely unchanged since the time when Franz Ferdinand and his family resided there.