Žehušice Explained

Žehušice
Settlement Type:Market town
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name1:Central Bohemian
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Kutná Hora
Pushpin Map:Czech Republic
Pushpin Relief:1
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates:49.9694°N 15.4075°W
Established Title:First mentioned
Established Date:1350
Area Total Km2:8.95
Elevation M:220
Population As Of:2024-01-01
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:884
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1:CET
Utc Offset1:+1
Timezone1 Dst:CEST
Utc Offset1 Dst:+2
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:285 75

Žehušice is a market town in Kutná Hora District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 900 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

The village of Bojmany is an administrative part of Žehušice.

Etymology

The name is derived from the personal name Žehuš, meaning "the village of Žehuš's people".[2]

Geography

Žehušice is located about 8km (05miles) east of Kutná Hora and 26km (16miles) west of Pardubice. It lies in a flat agricultural landscape in the Central Elbe Table. The market town is situated on the left bank of the Doubrava River, at the confluence of the Doubrava and Brslenka rivers.

History

The first written mention of Žehušice is from 1350. The village was promoted to a market town in 1540 by Emperor Ferdinand I, but it lost this title in 1601. From 1661 to 1918, Žehušice was owned by the Thun und Hohenstein family. In 1865, Žehušice was once again promoted to a market town.[3]

Transport

There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipality.

Sights

Žehušice is known for the Deer Park Žehušice. It is a large deer park, founded by the Thun und Hohenstein family in 1867. Among other animals, a rare herd of white stags is kept in it. Today it is protected as a nature monument. The deer park is privately owned and is closed to the public.[4] The landscape around Žehušice, including the deer park and the castle park of the nearby Kačina castle, is protected as a landscape monument zone, because it is a uniquely preserved document of Baroque urbanism and a Baroque composed landscape.[5]

The Žehušice Castle is located next to the deer park. It is an early Baroque castle whose construction was completed in 1679. In 1826, it was rebuilt in the Empire style. A castle park is adjacent to the castle.[6]

A notable building is the former Renaissance fortress, also called Old Castle. In addition to its historical value, it is known as the birthplace of Giovanni Punto. Today the building is dilapidated and unused.[7]

The Church of Saint Mark belongs to the main landmarks of Žehušice. It was built in the Baroque style in 1760. Next to the church is an atypical separate bell tower, built in the Moorish style.[8]

Notable people

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024. Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
  2. Book: Profous, Antonín. Místní jména v Čechách IV: S–Ž. 822–823. 1957. cs.
  3. Web site: Žehušice v datech. Městys Žehušice. cs. 2023-03-09.
  4. Web site: Žehušice. Městys Žehušice . cs. 2022-05-28.
  5. Web site: Žehušicko – krajinná památková zóna. National Heritage Institute. cs. 2023-03-09.
  6. Web site: Zámek. National Heritage Institute. cs. 2023-03-09.
  7. Web site: Bývalá tvrz, tzv. Starý zámek. National Heritage Institute. cs. 2023-03-09.
  8. Web site: Kostel sv. Marka. National Heritage Institute. cs. 2023-03-09.