Jesenice (Rakovník District) Explained

Jesenice
Settlement Type:Town
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name1:Central Bohemian
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Rakovník
Pushpin Map:Czech Republic
Pushpin Relief:1
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates:50.0972°N 13.4694°W
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Jan Polák
Established Title:First mentioned
Established Date:1321
Area Total Km2:37.59
Elevation M:455
Population As Of:2024-01-01
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:1656
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1:CET
Utc Offset1:+1
Timezone1 Dst:CEST
Utc Offset1 Dst:+2
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:270 33

Jesenice (German: Jechnitz) is a town in Rakovník District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,700 inhabitants.

Administrative parts

The villages of Bedlno, Chotěšov, Kosobody, Podbořánky and Soseň are administrative parts of Jesenice. Podbořánky forms an exclave of the municipal territory.

Etymology

The name is derived from the adjective jesenná (from Czech: jasan, i.e. 'ash') and originally denoted a meadow between ash trees or water flowing between ash trees.[2]

Geography

Jesenice is located about 18km (11miles) west of Rakovník and 60km (40miles) west of Prague. It lies in the Rakovník Uplands. The highest point is the hill Obecní vrch at 589m (1,932feet) above sea level. The stream of Rakovnický potok flows through the municipality and supplies here a system of fishponds.

History

The first written mention of Jesenice is from 1321. It was probably founded in the 13th century. From the end of the 14th century until 1848, Jesenice was part of the Petrohrad estate. The village was promoted to a town in 1409. At the end of the 15th century, a system of ponds was established here and fish farming began. Jesenice reached its greatest boom at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. After it lost its town status after World War II, Jesenice became a town once again in 2008.[3]

Transport

Jesenice is located on the railway line Rakovník–Bečov nad Teplou.[4]

Sights

The main landmark of Jesenice is the Church of Saints Peter and Paul. It was originally a fortified Romanesque church, from which the Romanesque tower has been preserved. From the 12th to the 18th century, the church was gradually modified and expanded with Baroque chapels.[5]

The Church of Saint James the Great is located in Podbořánky. Its existence was first documented in 1367. The current appearance of the church dates from 1781, when it was rebuilt in the Baroque style. The late Baroque rectory next to the church dates from 1788.[6]

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 II: CH–L. 130–131. 1949. cs.
  3. Web site: Historie města. Město Jesenice. cs. 2023-03-22.
  4. Web site: Detail stanice Jesenice. České dráhy. cs. 2023-11-08.
  5. Web site: Kostel sv. Petra a Pavla. National Heritage Institute. cs. 2023-03-22.
  6. Web site: Kostel sv. Jakuba Většího s farou. National Heritage Institute. cs. 2023-03-22.