OLD ROYAL PALACE

Description

Essentials about the Old Royal Palace in brief

In the right part of Prague Castle above the Wall Gardens stands the Old Royal Palace, built in the middle of the 12th century, which served as the seat of Bohemian rulers until the 16th century. A visit to the Old Royal Palace should definitely be part of a visit to Prague Castle, as it is the oldest part of the castle grounds.

The history of the Old Royal Palace

The Old Royal Palace was built in 1135 on the ruins of the old Sobĕslav Palace, the remains of which can still be seen in the cellars. In the course of time, the palace, formerly built in Romanesque style, underwent numerous reconstructions and extensions. The kings of Bohemia resided here until the 16th century. After that, the palace was used by the supreme state authority for more than 200 years. Today the palace serves as the seat of the Czech President and as a venue for state ceremonies.

The Vladislav Hall in the Old Royal Palace

The most magnificent room of the Old Royal Palace is undoubtedly the Vladislav Hall, built between 1493 and 1502 by the eponymous king Vladislav Jagiello. The gigantic dimensions of 60 meters long, 20 meters wide and 15 meters high make Vladislav Hall the largest secular hall in medieval Prague. Surprisingly, the hall has no supporting pillars, only a supporting vault – a true technical feat for the Middle Ages. The hall was once used not only for meetings, courts, bazaars, banquets and markets, but also for knights’ tournaments. The equestrian stairway to the hall was constructed in such a way that knights could ride their horses directly into the hall.

The Bohemian Chancery and the Prague Defenestration

Probably the most famous room of the Old Royal Palace, apart from the Vladislav Hall, is the so-called “Bohemian Chancery”. However, the Bohemian Chancery is worth seeing not so much for its dimensions or furnishings, but as the scene of one of the most important political events in European history. On May 23, 1618, Protestant nobles threw the Catholic emperor’s governors out of a window in what has gone down in history as the “Defenestration of Prague.” Although the governors escaped with their lives, the Defenestration of Prague triggered one of the longest and bloodiest confrontations in European history: The Thirty Years’ War.

Further rooms in the Old Royal Palace

Also worth seeing in the Old Royal Palace is the All Saints Chapel, originally built in the 14th century and reconstructed in Renaissance style after a fire in 1541. On the Baroque altar there is a cycle of pictures telling the legend of St. Prokop, whose relics are kept in the church.

Next to the All Saints Chapel is the Landtagssaal, built around 1500 by Benedikt Ried, which served as the seat of the Supreme Land Court and the Landtag. In the center of the hall is the neo-Gothic royal throne, made in the 19th century, and right next to it is the bishop’s chair.

Those who wish to learn in detail about the history of Prague Castle should not miss the permanent exhibition on the so-called “Gothic Floor” of the Old Royal Palace. The exhibition presents the history of Prague Castle from prehistoric times to the present. Visitors get to see many exhibits from the castle collections.