Český Šternberk Castle
| Český Šternberk Castle | |
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| Hrad Český Šternberk | |
The eastern view of the castle Český Šternberk
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 Location within Czech Republic
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| General information | |
| Type | Medieval castle |
| Architectural style | Gothic architecture, Baroque, Rococo |
| Location | Český Šternberk, Central Bohemian Region, Czech Republic |
| Country | Czech Republic |
| Coordinates | 49°48′54″N 14°55′36″E / 49.81500°N 14.92667°E |
| Elevation | 378 m (1,240 ft) |
| Owner | Zdenek Sternberg |
Coordinates: 49°48′54″N 14°55′36″E / 49.815°N 14.926667°E
Český Šternberk Castle (Czech: Hrad Český Šternberk) is a Bohemian castle of the mid-13th century, located on the west side of the River Sazava overlooking the village with the same name of the Central Bohemian Region in Czech Republic. It is an early Gothic castle which was constructed, named and still owned by members of the same family. Český Šternberk Castle is today a residence that bears a long historical and architectural heritage and represents an attractive tourist destination open to the public. It is considered one of the best preserved Gothic Bohemian castles.
The name Šternberk derives from the German language and is the Czech spelling of the German composite word Sternberg (literally meaning "Starmountain": Stern meaning "star" and Berg meaning "mountain"). It originates from the founder of the castle, Zdeslav of Divisov's coat of arms, bearing an eight-pointed golden star. Eventually he changed his surname to Sternberg and the heraldic symbol was accompanied by the motto: "The star that never falls down".
The castle was initially built in 1241 by Zdeslav of Divisov, later called Zdeslav Sternberg. The development of new firearms in the 14th century posed an unexpected threat to the defensibility of the castle. Its 13th century architects hadn't foreseen the danger of long-range firearms and its reinforcement became a necessity. During this period the Český Šternberk castle's fortifications were improved through the construction in the north of a three-story tower, which was connected to the castle by a rampart. In 1467 the castle was seized by the royal armies of George of Poděbrady (Czech: Jiří z Poděbrad). Later, the ruined castle was regained by Šternberk's aristocracy, who, by the turn of the 15th to 16th century, had reconstructed the castle, renewed its defensive system and expanded it with the construction of a new cylindrical tower in the south and the Dungeon in the north. The castle managed to survive the looting of the rebels in 1627, during the Thirty Years' War. With the death of Jan Václav in 1712, the Holicý branch of the Sternberg family died out and its ownership passed to other families, who in 1751 built the lower palace next to the surrounding wall.
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