The arms of Benatky are represented by the castle, the symbol of the town, which overhangs the river Jizeriou. The two small blazons decorated with branches are the coat of arms of the first landowners, the lords of Drazice. The origin and meaning of the blazon depicting a dragon remain unknown to this day.

 

  The town of Benatky arose during the Middle Ages at the intersection of several trade routes.
The earliest record of the village of Obodr dates back to 1052.
Nevertheless, the history of Benatky can be traced back to 1346 when John of Drazice, the landowner, obtained permission to build a town and monastery on the hill dominating the river Jizeriou.
The monastery was completed in 1349 by the church of the Birth of the Virgin Mary, which today is incorporated within the castle.

 

 

During the war of the Hussites, the influence of the monastery gradually waned.
The death of Lord Drazice in 1385 gave rise to a troublesome period characterised by the difficulties of succession encountered by the family.

From 1526, Friedrich of Donin settled in Benatky, where he had a Renaissance castle built on the ruins of the monastery.

  In 1599, the entire building and its grounds were sold to the Czech emperor, Rudolph II, who used it for setting up Tycho Brahe's observatory. Furthermore, it was here that the Danish astronomer met his disciple, Johannes Kepler, in 1600.

 

 

After the Thirty Years' War, Emperor Ferdinand III awarded the castle to the cavalry general, Johann von Werth, in recognition of his bravery. He added the north wing and started construction on the church's tower.

 

 

 

At the end of the 18th century, the Benatky estate came into the hands of the Archbishop of Prague, Peter Antonin Prichovsky von Prichovice. The latest rococo-style changes were made to the castle's interior and the bridges, thereby adding the finishing touches to a rather eclectic architectural site.

Between 1844 and 1847, the young Bedrich Smetana worked there as a music teacher for the family of Count Leopold Felix Thun-Hohenstein, who had purchased the estate a few years earlier.

Count R. Kinsky was the last aristocratic owner of the property, which was sold to the town in 1920.

In 1944, Benatky reunited the communities of Old Benatky, New Benatky and the village of Obodr, which until then had remained independent.

 

 

       

 

 

Benatky Castle was built on the ruins of the former monastery. The central section has a strong gothic influence that can be attributed to Friedrich of Donin around 1526. All that remains of the previous religious building is the church of the Virgin Mary.

Several architectural modifications have been made since the Renaissance, continuing up until the end of the 16th century.

A fire sadly gutted the entire castle in 1656. It took almost 50 years to rebuild the castle, during which time the oriental wing was added, complete with galleries. In addition, the monument was extended by the finished church tower. The entire building, including the church, was reinforced and embellished with three doors, giving the architectural style a more unified look.

The gardens and pavilion were not added until 1720. The statues, however, inspired by M. Braun, only date from the end of the 18th century.

The Thun-Hohenstein family had further refurbishment work carried out during the second half of the 19th century and in particular, had a terrace built beneath the church.