Prague Castle

INFORMATION & DETAILS

For more than thousand years, the Prague Castle has been the seat of the ruler of the Czech country. Although their names and titles were changing from princes, to kings and finally presidents, the Prague Castle stays the seat of the mightiest man (or sometimes woman) in the country. The development of the castle started in the 9th century when a Slavonic fortress was founded on the place of the today’s castle high above the Vltava River. The Premyslid princes who had chosen this place as their new residence built also the first church within the Prague Castle – the Church of Our Lady (now found in ruins in a passage between the 2nd and 4th courtyard). In 920 the second church, dedicated to St George was founded and few years afterwards, prince Wenceslas founded a third church dedicated to St Vitus in between the two standing churches. An important event in the history of the castle was the foundation of a women’s convent within its walls in 973. This was the first monastery to be established in the country. In 1060 the St Vitus church was torn down and replace by a bigger basilica. In 1135 the first princely palace was build, however, the most important era of the Prague castle came in the 14th century during the reign of Charles IV. In 1344 Prague was raised from a bishopric to an archbishopric and the Cathedral of St Vitus, Wenceslas and Adalbert started to be built on the place of the older church. During Charles´ reign the castle was also reconstructed and modernized. Charles’ successors, the Jagellonian kings continued with building and reconstructed the Old Royal Palace by adding another floor to it and a new wing. The Habsburgs, who sat on the Czech thrown from 1526, mainly resided in Vienna and then the downfall of the fame of the Prague castle started. The first Habsburg on the Czech thrown Ferdinand I established the first gardens, the Royal Gardens, at the Prague Castle and built a Ball Game Hall and a Summer Palace for his beloved wife Anna in the gardens, however, since his time, not many Habsburgs resided permanently in Prague. At the turn of the 16th century Rudolf II had chosen Prague for his seat and made Prague once again the centre of Europe by bringing artists, astronomers and the European aristocracy to the city. The Prague Castle got its famous Spanish Hall, a picture gallery were Rudolf kept his highly valued art collection, and new stables. However, it was not until the 18th century when the Prague castle received a final reconstruction during the reign of the queen Maria Theresa. In that time the castle received its Classicist look and was divided into the four courtyards, as we know it today. The final reconstruction took place in the 1920´s, when Czechoslovakia finally won independence. In that time the Castle became the presidential residence and was once again modernized to be made into the residence of the president. The Slovenian architect Josip Plecnik was charged with this project, he reconstructed not only the palaces, but also the gardens, which received their present look in this time. The last alternations were made during the time of the fist Czech president Václav Havel.

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