History of the Chateau
Osada Ctěnice spadá od r. 1950 do katastru obce Vinoř. since 1950. The most commonly cited first mention of Ctěnice dates back to 1235. In this document Sulislav of Ctimice (Zulizlaus de Cztimich) is mentioned, but most probably the charter is not original (the prominent Czech historian August Sedláček thought the name could also refer to Čimice).
Ctěnice is mentioned in the charter of Gregor X from 1273 as the property of the Strahov monastery. A document from 1372 mentions the fortress in Ctěnice for the first time in connection with the farming activities of the burghers of Prague because in this year the Prague burgher Jan Zeiselmeier bought it from Gera, the widow of Volflin Galm. The Gothic fortress, was probably founded shortly beforehand. It had a pentagonal shape with a simple rampart and a moat. Inside there was a palace and a prism-shaped tower with a gate.
At this time the village was most commonly referred to as Stěnice (as late as 1654 in taxation records), in 1396 it was written as Scinice and since the 16th century it has been known under its current name Ctěnice (even though Mueller's map from 1720 names it Stienetitz and in the 19th century it was sometimes called Čtěnice).
In 1421 the fortress was confiscated by Prague and given to Martin Zumberger. From the year 1435 there is a testimony about Barbora from Ctěnice and her former husband Jakub.
From 1502 to 1572 the chateau was owned by Václav Hrzán z Harasova and his kin. Václav’s son Adam first inherited the estate and in 1544 it passed on to Adam’s son Mikuláš - his second son, Václav, received the nearby Jenštejn. Probably around 1550 Mikuláš ordered the old fortress rebuilt into a renaissance chateauby adding further wings along the ramparts with arcades facing into the court and an alteration of the gate tower. When Mikuláš died in 1565, his above-mentioned brother Václav became the guardian of the orphans, but he probably took very poor care of the estate. When Adam's son Adam reached maturity, he was forced to sell the village and the chateau.
Prior to the year 1572, Ctěnice was bought by Petr Myška ze Žlunic, who sold it to Oldřich Hostakovský z Arklebic in 1578. After his death in 1585 it was inherited by his son Trystram. Since Trystram died childless, his death unleashed a conflict between his older cousin (whose name was also Trystram) and his uncle Jaroslav Kaplíř ze Sulevic (his mother's brother). In 1601 Trystram won the suit and sold the estate directly to Kateřina Smiřická z Házmburka who died shortly thereafter in 1604. Her heir Jan Zbyněk Zajíc z Házmburka sold Ctěnice to Jan Boryňa ze Lhoty. Ctěnice was in possession of his family until 1626, when his son Jan exchanged his share of the inheritance, of which Ctěnice was a part, with Adam z Valdštejna for Budeničky. In 1652 Valdštejn's son Maximilián sold Ctěnice to Jan Antonín Losa z Losintálu, who also bought the nearby Sluhyin 1656. The chateau was then owned by his family until 1781.
Ctěnice chateau was then owned by the Windischgrätz family until 1803. While in their possession the renaissance chateau was rebuilt in classicist baroque style and acquired the face we know today. The gate lost its octagonal part and was substituted with a triangular gable with an onion-shaped roof and a lantern. The actual chateau is a two-storey building on the side of the courtyard, but it has three storeys on the side facing its surroundings. It has a hip roof. The outer facade is segmented by lesenes and the ground floor on the side of the courtyard features blind pillar arcades. A vaulted bridge connects the gate and the other side of the moat which is still partially preserved.
From 1803 the owners changed frequently. Antonín z Hochbergu bought it from the Donát family and in 1804 added Goldberg to the estate, previously owned by the church of Saint Adalbert in Prague. In 1808 followed Jan Antonín Hartman z Klarštejna, in 1820 it was František Antonín Desfours, whose daughter willed Ctěnice to Josefína ze Schwarzenberka and to Gabriela z Ditrichštejna.
In 1849 the entrepreneur and merchant Alexander Schöller became the new owner of Ctěnice when he acquired the estate from the inheritance of the countess Aloisie Desfoursová. The Schöller family was a significant economic player in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In the first years after the establishment of the Czechoslovak Republic their company was divided into two joint stock companies based in Prague and Vienna. After the Second World War the entire estate belonged to Státní statek hl.m.Prahy (The State Farm of the Capital City of Prague). The estate is currently owned by Pražská informační služba (Prague Information Service), which subjected the complex to an extensive reconstruction. A historical museum of carriages has been opened and a horseback riding club has already commenced its activities.
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