Varvažov

Varvažov
Municipality
Church of Saint Catherine and the castle
Flag Coat of arms
Varvažov Location in the Czech Republic
Coordinates: 49°26′20″N 14°8′33″E
Country	Czech Republic
Region	South Bohemian
District	Písek
First mentioned	13th century
Area
• Total	25.16 km^2 (9.71 sq mi)
Elevation	426 m (1,398 ft)
Population  (2024-01-01)[1]
• Total	181
• Density	7.2/km^2 (19/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	397 01
Website	www.varvazov-obec.cz

Varvažov is a municipality and village in Písek District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 200 inhabitants. The historic centre of the village is well preserved and is protected by law as a village monument zone.

Administrative parts

The villages of Štědronín-Plazy and Zbonín are administrative parts of Varvažov.

Geography

Varvažov is located about 14 kilometres (9 mi) north of Písek and 67 km (42 mi) south of Prague. It lies in the Tábor Uplands. The highest point is the flat hill Hlásnice at 447 m (1,467 ft) above sea level.

Most of the municipal border is formed by rivers. The western border is formed by the Skalice River. After its confluence with the Skalice, the southern border is formed by the Lomnice. After its confluence with the Lomnice, the eastern border is formed by the Otava, and then, again after their confluence, it continues as the Vltava River. The Orlík Reservoir, built on the Vltava, begins in the northeastern part of the municipality.

History

The first written mentions of Varvažov are from the mid-13th century. Until the middle of the 19th century, the village was continuously the property of the Knights Hospitaller.[2]

Demographics

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1869 1,511 —     1880 1,459 −3.4% 1890 1,361 −6.7% 1900 1,192 −12.4% 1910 1,049 −12.0%	Year Pop. ±% 1921 1,044 −0.5% 1930 903 −13.5% 1950 591 −34.6% 1961 580 −1.9% 1970 485 −16.4%	Year Pop. ±% 1980 311 −35.9% 1991 228 −26.7% 2001 176 −22.8% 2011 187 +6.2% 2021 192 +2.7%
Source: Censuses[3][4]

Transport

There are no railways or major roads passing through the municipality.

Sights

A set of Neoclassical-type homesteads has been preserved in the historic centre of Varvažov, which is protected as a village monument zone. In the centre of the village is a late Baroque castle from the 18th century, which served as a summer residence of the Knights Hospitaller.[2]

The oldest monument is the Church of Saint Catherine, built in the second half of the 13th century. A notable monument is also a historic stone bridge from the 18th century.[5]

In popular culture

The 1998 award-winning film Sekal Has to Die was shot in the municipality.[5]

Notable people

• Josef Bílý (1872–1941), general

References

1. "Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2024". Czech Statistical Office. 2024-05-17.
2. "Varvažov" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
3. "Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011" (in Czech). Czech Statistical Office. 2015-12-21.
4. "Population Census 2021: Population by sex". Public Database. Czech Statistical Office. 2021-03-27.
5. "Obec Varvažov – vesnice z filmu Je třeba zabít Sekala" (in Czech). CzechTourism. Retrieved 2022-12-21.

External links

• Official website