ŠPILBERK CASTLE (HRAD)

Špilberk Hill, which rises to the west of the city centre, dominates the city without overwhelming it. Many visitors start by climbing the hill to get a bird's eye view of Brno before exploring the city. Although the slopes of Špilberk are now forested, they were once left bare to facilitate the defence of the fortress built on top. The first Gothic castle (enveloping type) dates from the 13th century. In the 15th century, the Luxembourg family ruled over the whole of Moravia from here. But there are few traces of this fortified residence. It was completely remodelled in the 18th and 19th centuries. Over the centuries, the site was attacked, without success, by the Hussites, the huge Swedish army (in 1645) and the Prussians. In 1805, Napoleon took possession of it without fighting, a few days before the Battle of Austerlitz. In 1809, Špilberk was taken again and its outer defence system dismantled. The fortress was later used as a prison and it is to this sad function that Špilberk still owes its reputation today. It was first used as a detention centre by the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It became the most famous prison of the empire and a symbol of the struggle of the various nations of the empire for independence. One of the most illustrious guests was the Italian poet Silvio Pellico, who wrote his collection of pamphlets De mes prisons.