Description of the attraction
The old royal palace was built in the middle of the 12th century. Until the second half of the 16th century, the palace was the seat of the rulers of Bohemia. After the Habsburgs built a new palace for themselves, the old one was transferred to the location of government offices.
In 1135, the capital of the Czech Republic, Prague, began to be rebuilt according to the model of Latin cities. Since the reign of Prince St. Wenceslas (10th century), a three-story princely palace has existed in the Prague Kremlin, the architectural appearance of which is not exactly known to us. In the 12th century, it was replaced by a Romanesque palace, the southern wall of which was an integral part of the fortifications. The Prince's Palace together with the Basilica of the Virgin Mary, St. Vitus, Wenceslas and Vojtěch, as well as the Basilica of St. George (George), constituted the central ensemble of stone buildings in the Kremlin as the political and religious center of the Přemvslovic state.
In the middle of the 13th century, reconstruction began in the early Gothic style. In the western part there is a separate residential part, which, however, was destroyed by a fire in 1303. The first mention of the coronation of the Czech king in the Kremlin (Přemysl Otakar II, in 1261), as well as the existence of the position of the Kremlin gofmaster, a royal official at the head of the court, dates back to this period.
The Vladislav Hall is of the greatest interest here - a large room built by the order of King Vladislav of Jagiellonian around 1500. Feasts and knightly tournaments were held here, and the knights entered the hall directly on horseback, climbing the Horsemen's Ladder, which has no steps. Later, state-level receptions and banquets were held here.
Nearby are the premises of the Czech Chancellery - the offices of Czech governors. It houses a museum exposition dedicated to the construction of Prague Castle.
The vaulted premises of the first floor of the Romanesque palace, built in 1135, have survived to this day in the underground of the palace. In its eastern part there was a chamber under the All Saints Chapel. With the consecration of the chapel in 1185, the rebuilding of the palace in the Romanesque style was completed.
The All Saints Chapel was built in the second half of the 16th century. Her main treasure is the relics of St. Prokop is one of the most revered Czech saints.
In the lower part of the Old Royal Palace, there is an exposition where archaeological finds, objects from the royal chambers, antique jewelry, manuscripts and books are displayed.
