9 WEEKS OF BAROQUE FESTIVAL

THE RURAL CELEBRATION SHAKE HANDS WITH BAROQUE / BAROQUE COURTYARD GIGANT IN ZÁLUŽÍ
18 July | Saturday 10:00am – 10:00pm 
All-day programme on a Baroque family farm. 7:00pm Vivat Comenius, programme of Štěpán Rak and Alfred Strejček.

Almost behind the doorsteps, around 14 km as the crow flies southwest of Pilsen near the towns of Chotěšov and Stod, a Baroque noble courtyard called Gigant is situated in the town of Záluží. Its foundation dates back to the year 1367, but it is probably even older. It used to rank among the largest courtyards of the Chotěšov Monastery. In the 17th century, after the Thirty Years' War, the courtyard was rebuilt and a small manor house connected with the granary building was constructed. As it had a castle chapel, it used to serve church ceremonies. The interiors of the first floor were dedicated to hunting celebrations. Mainly sheep were kept in the courtyard, later it was also other livestock. Centuries passed and the courtyard survived eras in various condition, until the years of building socialism, when state farms operating in this area almost caused the demise of this cultural sight. Come and see this cultural heritage for yourself, rescued mainly thanks to 22 years of work by the Korc family, the restorers of the courtyard Gigant. You can experience life as it was in the Baroque period.

PROGRAMME
The owners of the Baroque courtyard Gigant will greet you with a programme called Shake Hands with Baroque. From the afternoon on, a rich programme awaits you in the courtyard and at the nearby Courtyard Pond. In a family atmosphere, you will be able to admire live Baroque crafts – blacksmiths, stonemasons, falconers, potters and bakers. You can experience life on a Baroque farm as it used to be and as it is today. The Courtyard Pond situated in the adjacent landscape, which also belongs to the courtyard, is 500 years old. It is possible to visit this place by taking a short walk or a ride in a carriage drawn by horses along the road called Kočárovka, which is lined by an alley of linden trees and which leads to the original Baroque landscape. By the water, you will have an opportunity to catch a fish on a historic bamboo rod. Folk cooking will take place on the embankment and on the island, and it will also include roasted piglets. The all-day event will end in the evening with Vivat Comenius, a programme prepared by Štěpán Rak and Alfred Strejček.

10:00am – 6:00pm / area of the courtyard
Live Baroque crafts
Several examples of historic crafts with the opportunity to try the demonstrated activity. Míla Krofta – potter's wheel, Zdeněk Mest – statue of the Torchbearer of St Lucy, Bartoloměj Štěrba – stone and sculptures, live historic blacksmiths, Milan Straka – falconer, underpainting, Mrs. Korcová, Peter Zajac – stained glass, Podlipský and son – blacksmith and farrier, shoeing horses, father and son Schandl – carpenter and wheelwright. Throughout the day, tasting the tarts and cakes of the landlady, Czech beer and other refreshments.

10:00am – 6:00pm / by the Courtyard Pond
The Courtyard Pond, which is 500 years old, is located around 700 metres west of the courtyard. Programme participants may choose to walk here or to take a carriage drawn by horses in order to visit this site. They will stroll or ride through the original Baroque landscape along the road called Kočárovka, through an alley of linden trees on both sides leading to the Pond. The following programme will be prepared by the water, with an opportunity to catch a fish on a historic bamboo rod and release it afterwards back into the water. Visitors will attend folk cooking, which will be held on the embankment and on the island where it will be possible to also taste roasted piglets.

The programme for the whole day will further include guided tours of other parts of the courtyard – including the granary – and enter into interiors of the castle part – to see how life was in the Baroque era. Furthermore, the exhibition Shake Hands with Baroque and a permanent exhibition of agriculture will be open.

7:00pm / first hall of the Giant courtyard
Vivat Comenius
"I just wanted to encourage aspirations for a fuller and truer wisdom, and I pointed out what could be achieved if we seriously grasp things. Everything in this world could be repaired, but only through the gentle heat of love, because otherwise it is impossible.” — J. A. Comenius
The guitar virtuoso Prof. Štěpán Rak and Alfred Strejček in a joint performance, a concert for a guitar, human voice and Orff’s armamentarium. A programme compiled from texts of Jan Amos Comenius (1592-1670), General Consultation on the Reform of Human Affairs. With the perfect symbiosis of music composed by Štěpán Rak and a masterful performance by Alfred Strejček, the ideas of Comenius seem to still be extremely vivid, as if written by this great thinker for today. This performance has a unique, suggestive atmosphere of a revived legacy from ancient times.

ARTISTS AND PARTICIPANTS
ALFRÉD STREJČEK
ŠTĚPÁN RAK
MILAN STRAKA | FALCONER

Admission: during the day CZK 50 for everything, evening concert – 150 CZK | 100 CZK
TICKETS AVAILABLE ON THE SPOT AS WELL AS IN ADVANCE
Capacity: unlimited during the day, 300 places for the evening programme
Partners: Korcovi, owners of the farm
TICKETS + concert
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