  |
BAKOV NAD JIZEROU | |||
| Bakov nad Jizerou Benátky nad Jizerou Benešov Bělá pod Bezdězem Čelákovice Dobříš Hořovice Kladno Kolín Kostelec nad Černými lesy Kralupy nad Vltavou Mladá Boleslav Mladoboleslavsko Nelahozeves Praha Roztoky Rožmitál pod Třemšínem Říčany Svatá Hora u Příbrami Veltrusy Velvary Zruč nad Sázavou |
There is an elevated plain between Mnichovo Hradiště and Mladá Boleslav, with the Jizera river pushing its way through, and the town of Bakov nad Jizerou on its banks. A fishermen's settlement was founded here by the Cistercians from the nearby monastery at Hradiště during the mighty colonisation spell some time in the l3th century. Bakov's existence was definitely confirmed by the 1345 sales contract according to which Bakov was part of the property purchased by Přebor, the Cistercian abbot, from the Lords of Zvířetice whose seat was a castle nearby. Hašek of Zvířetice intervened with King Vladislav II succeeding in the King's granting freedoms of a city to Bakov with a seal and the privilege to hold markets, in 1497. Prosperity and bloom were brought to Bakov by the Wartembergs who had the l3th-century St Bartholomew's Church reconstructed in the late-Gothic style in the lóth century. They also established the St Jacob's Chapel in the cemetery for nonCatholic believers. One of the oldest surviving sights is the 1588 Renaissance entrance gate to the cemetery. The Wallensteins took over Bakov after the battle of the White Mountain. They extended the cemeterial chapel into what is now the St Barbara's Church in the early l8th century. The baroque altar and statues were made by Josef Jelínek, a native of Kosmonosy who also created the plague post with the sculpture of the Most Holy Trinity, marking the square centre since 1729. In the early l8th century, Bakov was famous through the reed-mace goods. The poor and forgotten town of petty craftsmen lived up again in 1865 when the railway came to town. Bakov is the birthplace of composer Jiřík Ignác Linka. It was a temporary home of several writers - R. J. Kronbauer, F. Horčička - Havíř, K. Sellner, A. Havel, J. Podobský - and painters - J. Hájek, R. Livora. Holiday visitors like to spend hot summers at Bakov's outdoor swimming-pool or rambling through the deep forests around on their way to the castle of Zvířetice or to the Bohemian Paradise. |
|
