Early Gothic Castle – Beginning of the 13th Century
The inner castle consisted of a defensive rectangular tower, known as a bergfried. A gate with a drawbridge was connected directly to the tower, followed by a single palace building. The entire structure of the inner castle was arranged in an L-shape. The whole area of the inner castle was surrounded by a defensive wall, complemented by a dry moat.
High Gothic castle – mid-15th century
This period saw the construction of the western palace of the inner castle, which included a knights' hall. In response to the increasingly common use of firearms, the fortifications were significantly reinforced. At the entrance to the inner castle, a so-called outer gatehouse (fore-gate) was built to improve the defensive capabilities of the stronghold. The fore-gate was equipped with a drawbridge providing access across the dry moat. Already at this time, both cannon bastions were constructed, connected by curtain walls with an entrance tower locatedapproximately in the same place as today’s main gate.
Renaissance reconstruction of the castle – early 17th century
A major reconstruction of the entire castle complex took place under Jan Sedlnický of Choltice (1508–1551) and his son Jiří (1551–1568). During this period, the inner castle was transformed into a Renaissance residence, resulting in the creation of a closed, four-wing layout with an inner courtyard. Renaissance architectural elements became particularly evident in the construction of new vaults, window frames, and door surrounds. Due to the threat posed by the Ottoman Empire, additional fortification works were undertaken to strengthen the overall defences of the complex. In later periods, further buildings were added along the inner side of the outer fortification walls, including offices, storage facilities, stables, and living quarters.
