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This study attempts, to some extent, to correct the tenacious notions occurring in the historiographical record of the (un)importance of the Opava castle in the 16th century. According to these notions, the significance of the Opava castle (chateau) at the time when it ceased to fulfill the role of landlord residence was de facto reduced to its material ground – the building lost its original significance and was used by its landowner (Bohemian Royal Chamber) as a rather lowyielding economic unit and as security for financial loans. However, the newly discovered draft of a letter of 25th October 1557 suggests something else. In this letter, William of Rosenberg, the most important aristocrat of the Bohemian Kingdom, asked King Ferdinand I to relieve him, due to his bad health condition, of the obligation to lead an inspection committee to assess the condition of the Opava castle (and related estates) after the death of the previous mortgage holder, Opava land judge, Jan Planknar of Kynšperk. The king's efforts to send the lord of Rosenberg to Opava – he was to be accompanied by Moravian nobles, Jan Kropáč of Nevědomí and Jiřík of Zástřizl – speaks of the fact that the fortress located in the vicinity of the Opava town walls still played also other roles in the king's eyes. A contextual analysis of the events at the time indicated that the mission for the committee sent to Opava by King Ferdinand was not only to assess the economic prosperity of the estate, but above all to assess its use as a military fortress at a time of increased Ottoman threat. The study also includes an edition of the William of Rosenberg's letter.