Historic fortresses in the Plzeň region are being transformed into permanent residences

Plzeň Region - Several private individuals have already bought century-old fortresses in the Plzeň region. They acquired them from restitution claimants and are now converting these historical monuments, often mere ruins, into permanent residences. They agree that they are fulfilling their dreams this way. They stated this to ČTK.
    The medieval fortress, first mentioned around the year 1200, has been owned by the Turner family in Pernolec in the Tachov region for three years. They bought the cultural monument from a direct restitution claimant, whose family acquired the property in 1927 as a residual estate from the Windisgrätz family. "They lived here, but then they were expelled by the Germans because they were the only Czechs in the village. After the war, the communists took their property away from them," said the new owner, Martin Turner. The restitution claimant reportedly sold the fortress for a long time. She was not interested in money, but was looking for enthusiasts who would restore the monument and convert it into family housing.
    The original fortress in Pernolec, of which only the foundations remain and which likely burned down, was meant to defend the golden trade route together with the neighboring fortress in Trnová. After Tachov began to develop and a castle was built there, it lost significance, fell into ruin, and became dilapidated. "In the 14th and 15th centuries, it finally burned down. On its foundations, the fortress that stands here today was built," the owner added. The perimeter walls remain up to the first floor. The rest was rebuilt in the Baroque style. The last known owner had the property in 1623. The fortress then fell into disrepair for about a hundred years. It later fell under the Tachov estate and was converted into a Baroque granary.
    The new owners are trying to restore the water moat, in which archaeologists are finding Gothic shards. According to Turner, the fate of the fortress in the 15th and 16th centuries is a great mystery. "Recently we found a beautiful Renaissance tile, even decorated with real gold. It is a rarity and is the second such tile that has been found in Bohemia," he added. So far, no one knows who lived in the property at that time and could afford such luxurious goods as figurative tiles with stunning glazes and coloring. "We are investigating this," Turner added.
    In the vicinity of the fortress, which also serves as a base for three civic associations from Tachov, he plans to organize various cultural events in the future. Pernolec is amazing in that people still stick together here, he added. According to him, there are about five other fortresses in Western Bohemia that their owners are converting into permanent residences. "We all know each other and help one another. A key figure is publisher and amateur historian Zdeněk Procházka from Domažlice, who owns the fortress in Lštění," Turner added. According to him, fortresses are no longer for sale, only Baroque granaries at most.
    Václav Kadera will also move to his own fortress in Štěpánovice in the Klatovy region this autumn. He bought the property from the late 14th century, with a Renaissance extension and rebuilt into a granary in 1715, two years ago. He also says that he will fulfill his dream by doing so.