The Prague Castle and Its Treasures

About this book

Prague, the historical and intellectual metropolis of Bohemia and one of the world's most beautiful cities, has attracted great artists and architects since the 9th century. Splendid buildings and works of art it has in abundance, but Prague's crowning glory is its unique castle, Hradcany. The political and religious hub of the land and the repository of its greatest works of art, Hradcany surmounts the city like a crown wrought of palaces, churches, courtyards, gardens, fortifications and towers. Here, the visitor can trace the development of European art over the last thousand years and admire some of its supreme achievements. The mighty walls of Hradcany enclose a large number of exceptional buildings: the Royal Palace, which displays all the styles of architecture from Romanesque to neo-classicism; St. George's Basilica, dating from 1142, with its beautiful Baroque facade; St Vitus's Cathedral, founded in 1344 but not completed until 1929; the Church of St. Nicholas, the St. Wenceslas Chapel... The National Gallery within the castle houses outstanding paintings and sculpture from many countries collected by the Czech rulers and nobility. In each successive age, those who have added to this great structure have always appreciated the heritage of the past and enhanced it with the artistic achievements of their own time. Today, Hradcany is not simply a museum; as the official residence of the President of the Czech republic, it is still playing a part in the life of the country. Written by eminent Czech art historians and illustrated by outstanding color photographs, many historical pictures and plans, this beautiful volume provides the first comprehensive survey of Prague Castle and its important art collections.