Náměšť nad Oslavou (Czech pronunciation: [ˈnaːmɲɛʃc ˈnat oslavou]) is a town in Třebíč District in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 4,700 inhabitants. The town is located on the Oslava River, on the border between the Jevišovice Uplands and Křižanov Highlands.
Náměšť nad Oslavou was founded around 1220 and became a town in 1923. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument zone.
Contents
Administrative division
Náměšť nad Oslavou consists of four municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):
Geography
Náměšť nad Oslavou is located about 20 kilometres (12 mi) east of Třebíč and 31 km (19 mi) west of Brno. The southern part of the municipal territory with most of the built-up area lies in the Jevišovice Uplands. The northern part lies in the Křižanov Highlands and includes the highest point of Náměšť nad Oslavou at 455 m (1,493 ft) above sea level. The Oslava River flows through the town.
History
Náměšť was founded around 1220. The first written mention of Náměšť is from 1234, when the castle was owned by the Lords of Lomnice. In the 14th and 15th centuries, Náměšť was frequently conquered and destroyed by various armies. In 1304, Náměšť was destroyed by Cumans, in 1408 by the army of Lacko of Kravaře, and during the Hussite Wars by the armies of Sigismund and Albert II.
From 1481 to 1563, Náměšť was owned again by the Lords of Lomnice. In 1563, it was acquired by the Zierotin family. Jan the Elder of Zierotin had replaced the old Gothic castle with a new large Renaissance residence. Jan's successor Karl the Elder of Zierotin sold the estate to Albrecht of Wallenstein in 1628, who immediately sold it to the House of Werdenberg. The Werdenberg family owned it until 1733.
From 1752 until the abolition of manorialism, Náměšť was in the possession of the Haugwitz family. The railway was built in 1866. In 1923, Náměšť nad Oslavou was promoted to a town.
Transport
The I/23 road (the section from Třebíč to Rosice) runs through the municipality.
Náměšť nad Oslavou is located on the railway line Brno–Plzeň via Třebíč and České Budějovice.
Culture
Since 1986, Náměšť nad Oslavou has been hosting the folk music festival Folkové prázdniny ('folk holidays').
Sights
Náměšť nad Oslavou is known for its Baroque bridge. It was built in 1737 and is decorated by twenty sculptures. It has the richest sculptural decoration in Moravia and the second richest in the country after the Charles Bridge in Prague.
The most important monument and the main landmark of the town is the Náměšť nad Oslavou Castle, which is protected as a national cultural monument. It is located on a hilltop above the town. It was built in 1572–1579. Today it is open to the public. It includes a castle park with valuable trees.
The Church of Saint John the Baptist on the town square was built in 1639. It replaced an old Romanesque structure. The neighbouring complex of the rectory with Chapel of Saint Anne was built in the Baroque style in 1740–1745.
Notable people
František Antonín Míča (1696–1744), conductor and composer
Karel František Koch (1890–1981), medical doctor, known for rescuing Jews during the Holocaust
Michael Rabušic (born 1989), footballer
Twin towns – sister cities
Náměšť nad Oslavou is twinned with:
Medzilaborce, Slovakia