The predecessor of today's castle near Benešov was a castle built by the Lords of Benešov in the 14th century. In 1327 the Bohemian King John of Luxembourg transferred it to the Lords of Sternberg, who redesigned the castle in the late Gothic style at the beginning of the 17th century and later in the late Renaissance style. At the beginning of the 18th century, the castle was rebuilt in the Baroque style by the Counts of Vrtba and in 1830 passed to Prince Johann Karl von Lobkowitz (1799–1878).
On March 1, 1887, the castle and lordship of Konopischt were purchased for 2.5 million florins to Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Este, who had the castle restored in the neo-Gothic style between 1889 and 1894 and furnished it with art objects. The property was 6,842 hectares and included, among other things, a sugar factory, quarries, a spirit factory and patronage over four parishes. Then there was the Beneschauer Brauerei AG, which the Archduke had rebuilt in 1897. From 1893 to 1895 he devoted himself to the renovation of the castle. Around 1,100,000 crowns were invested in Konopishte during these years.