| Malešov | |
| 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: | 49.9106°N 15.2261°W |
| Established Title: | First mentioned |
| Established Date: | 1303 |
| Area Total Km2: | 14.28 |
| Elevation M: | 330 |
| Population As Of: | 2024-01-01 |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Total: | 1030 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone1: | CET |
| Utc Offset1: | +1 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | CEST |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 285 41 |
Malešov (German: Maleschau) is a market town in Kutná Hora District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,000 inhabitants. The historic centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone.
The villages of Albrechtice, Maxovna, Polánka and Týniště are administrative parts of Malešov.
The name is derived from the personal name Maleš, meaning "Maleš's (court)".[2]
Malešov is located about 5km (03miles) south of Kutná Hora and 52km (32miles) east of Prague. It lies in the Upper Sázava Hills. The highest point is at 423m (1,388feet) above sea level. The Vrchlice Stream flows through the municipal territory. Vrchlice Reservoir and Hamerský Pond are located on the stream.
The first written mention of Malešov is from 1303. In June 1424, Jan Žižka's radical Hussites army defeated the resisting Prague Hussites in the Battle of Malešov.[3]
Malešov is located on the railway line Kutná Hora–Zruč nad Sázavou.[4]
The Malešov Fortress is a notable medieval monument. It was probably built in the first half of the 14th century. During the Thirty Years' War, it was abandoned, but in 1666, it became the administrative centre of the estate, then owned by the Sporck family. In the 1820s, Empire style modifications were made. From the mid-19th century, the fortress area fell into disrepair and was abandoned. In 1850, one tower collapsed. At the end of the 19th century, the remains of the residential building were removed. The surviving core of the fortress was repaired in 2002–2003. It is one of the largest preserved residential towers of Czech fortresses.[5]
The Malešov Castle was probably built in the first third of the 18th century. It is a small Baroque castle with a neoclassical façade.[6]
The Church of Saint Wenceslaus is the landmark of the town square. It was built in the Baroque style in 1731–1733. It replaced a wooden chapel, destroyed by fire in 1729.[7]