The story
The first written mention of the village of Obodř (today part of Benátky nad Jizerou III) is from 1052. In 1264, the Dražice Castle was founded. In 1346, Lord Jan of Dražice obtained permission to establish a town on a nearby hill. The town was named Nové Benátky (lit. 'new Venice'). In 1349, the monastery and the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary were built.
From Wikipedia’s article on Benátky nad Jizerou, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5
