If we disregard the legend from 11th century, the most important document regarding the antiquity of the city is the record of the emperor Charles IV. The record documents the existence of the town in 1335.
The biggest upswing of the city came under the spell of the lords of Hradec. Italian architects arrived into the town in the second half of the 16th century following the invitation by Zacharias from Hradec. The Italians converted the original water fortress with the gothic style castle into a magnificent renaissance residence. The renaissance make over also includes all citizen`s houses on the square and the arcade. The new trait of the city remained untouched during the baroque period and upon arrival of the other architectonic styles.