Near Mělník, nearly within view of the confluence of the Vltava and Elbe rivers, there is the Rococo Hořín Chateau. Originally a hunting lodge, it is located in the village of Hořín and was built at the end of the 17th century at the request of Count Jakub Černín, designed by the architect G. B. Alliprandi. The paintings were done by the painter F. M. Schiffer and his brother Antonín. A riding hall and stables were added to the chateau in 1701.
The hunting lodge was not enough for another owner, František Josef Černín, so he had a Baroque chateau built in its place according to the project of F. M. Kaňka in 1713-1720.
The castle was rebuilt and expanded several times. Carlo Giuseppe Bossi decorated two so-called ‘Stone Rooms’ on the ground floor of the chateau with asymmetrical stucco in 1760-1763. The last construction changes occurred at the end of the 18th century when a low tympanum was built on the garden facade, and a stairway rebuilt inside the chateau.
The chateau is one of the most preserved buildings combining elements of Late Baroque with Early Rococo.
The chateau is currently not accessible to the public.
References:Sigmaringen Castle was first mentioned in the year 1077 in the chronicles of Petershausen monastery. The oldest parts of the castle are concealed beneath the alterations made during the 17th and the 19th centuries. The secret of the earliest settlement built on this defendable rock will never be fully revealed: large-scale excavation work would be necessary, which the extensive land development renders impossible. Judging from the many Roman remains unearthed in the area around Sigmaringen, the 12th century keep known as the 'Roman Tower' could be traced back to a Roman predecessor.
The castle remains that have been preserved (gate, great hall and keep) date back to the Staufer period around 1200. The castle remains were integrated into subsequent buildings. The foundations of the castle buildings are to a large extent identical to the surrounding castle wall.
These remains give us a good idea of how the castle might have looked during the 12th century.