006-053 THE PRAGUE CASTLE I 

Already for a thousand years the Prague Castle has been dominating the left bank of the river Vltava, towering monumentally above the city of Prague - the seat of Kings and Presidents, the symbol of our emancipation. Archaeology and art history have disclosed secular and church buildings erected during the reigns of Břetislav 1st (1034-1055), Spytihněv 2nd (1055-1061) and Soběslav 1st (1125-1140), the works of mediaeval artists as well as simple people. Above the pre-Romanesque buildings a Gothic Royal Palace was built during the reigns of the last rulers of the Přemysl Dynasty and the Kings of the Luxemburg Dynasty, as well as a magnificent, unfinished cathedral and various noblemen's palaces. During the reign of the Kings of the Jagellon Dynasty and the first Habsburgs, the Renaissance style penetrated into the architecture of the Prague Castle. Developments were cruelly impaired by the great fire at the castle in the year 1541, but building activities were resumed during the reigns of Ferdinand 1st, Maxmilian 2nd, Rudolph 2nd, as well as Matthias and all the Kings after him right up to Maria Theresia, during whose reign the architectural history of the castle was united into the continuous coulisse built round the castle courtyards. The last buildings of the 19th century were the St. Vitus Cathedral which was finished at this time in the neo-Gothic style, and the houses on George Square. The 20th century brought new architectural reconstructions to the Prague Castle. After the year 1948 the castle became the symbol of the rule of the Czechoslowak people and lately it has received the greatest possible care in the form of extensive restorations of the earlier buildings and the works of art and cultural monuments. The Prague Castle has become our most valuable National Cultural Monument. 

Text to the photographs (Photographs by Petr Delev): 

1. The Castle taken from the House of Artists. Set amidst green foliage, the Prague Castle with the St. Vitus Cathedral dominate above the city. 

2. A view of the Castle from the Charles Bridge. One of the most beautiful panoramas, showing the southern facade of the Castle which was built on the old foundations, dating from the years 1754-1774. The design was by architect N. Paccassi. 

3. The Castle facade as seen from the Hradčany Square. The western facade of the former Maria Theresia Palace was built according to the design of Architect N. Paccassi, after the year 1762. The Rococo lattice with pillars supporting copies of statues by Platzer (1768) closes the first courtyard. 

4. The giants above the entrance gateway. These copies of Platzer's statues were made in 1912 by C. Vosmík and A. Procházka. On the roof in the background is the President's flag. 

5. A view of the 1st Castle courtyard through the Matthias Gateway. The gateway is considered to be the work of Architect V. Scamozzi (1614). The 1st courtyard was designed in the twenties of the twentieth century by Architect Josip Plečník. In the background is the Hradčany Square, on the left the Salmovský Palace and behind it the Schwarzenberg Palace. 

6. The 3rd Castle courtyard taken from the east. The present-day reconstruction of this courtyard was designed by the Ljubljana architect Josip Plečník and built in the years 1925-1930. 

7. A view of the Castle from Petřín Hill. The Cathedral of St. Vitus dominates the castle precincts. It dates from the years 1344-1420 and was finished in the neo-Gothic style in the years 1873-1929.