According to theGuinness Book of Records, Prague Castle is the largest ancient castle in the world,[1][2] occupying an area of almost 70,000 square metres (750,000 square feet), at about 570 metres (1,870 feet) in length and an average of about 130 metres (430 feet) wide. The castle is among the most visitedtourist attractions in Prague, attracting over 1.8 million visitors annually.[3]
KingOttokar II of Bohemia improved fortifications and rebuilt the royal palace for the purposes of representation and housing. In the 14th century, under the reign ofCharles IV the royal palace was rebuilt inGothic style and the castle fortifications were strengthened. In place of the rotunda and basilica of St. Vitus, building began of a vast Gothic church, that were completed almost six centuries later.
During theHussite Wars and the following decades, the castle was not inhabited. In 1485, KingVladislaus II Jagiellon began to rebuild the castle. The massiveVladislav Hall (built byBenedikt Rejt) was added to the Royal Palace. New defence towers were also built on the north side of the castle.
A large fire in 1541 destroyed large parts of the castle. Under theHabsburgs, some new buildings inRenaissance style were added.Ferdinand I built the Belvedere as a summer palace for his wifeAnne.Rudolph II used Prague Castle as his main residence. He founded the northern wing of the palace, with theSpanish Hall, where his precious art collections were exhibited.
The last major rebuilding of the castle was carried out byEmpress Maria Theresa in the second half of the 18th century. Following the abdication ofFerdinand I, in 1848, and the succession of his nephew,Franz Joseph, to the throne, the former emperor,Ferdinand I, made Prague Castle his home.
In 1918, the castle became the seat of the president of the newCzechoslovak Republic,Tomáš Masaryk. The New Royal Palace and the gardens were renovated by Slovenian architectJože Plečnik. In this period theSt. Vitus Cathedral was finished on 28 September 1929. Renovations continued in 1936 under Plečnik's successorPavel Janák.
On 15 March 1939, shortly afterNazi Germany forced Czech PresidentEmil Hácha (who suffered a heart attack during the negotiations) to hand his nation over to the Germans,Adolf Hitler spent a night in the Prague Castle, "proudly surveying his new possession."[6] During the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia in World War II, Prague Castle became the headquarters ofReinhard Heydrich, the Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia. According to a popular rumor, he is said to have placed the Bohemian crown on his head; old legends say ausurper who places the crown on his head is doomed to die within a year.[7] Less than a year after assuming power, on 27 May 1942, Heydrich was ambushed duringOperation Anthropoid, by British-trained Slovak and Czech resistance soldiers while on his way to the Castle, and died of his wounds, which became infected, a week later.[8] Klaus, hisfirstborn son, died the next year in a traffic accident, also in line with the legend.[9]
After the liberation of Czechoslovakia and thecoup in 1948, the Castle housed the offices of the communist Czechoslovak government. AfterCzechoslovakia split in 1993 into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the castle became the seat of theHead of State of the new Czech Republic. Similar to what Masaryk did with Plečnik, presidentVáclav Havel commissionedBořek Šípek to be the architect of post-communist improvements for Prague Castle, in particular of the facelift of the castle's gallery of paintings.
Prague Castle's architecture is a unique blend of styles from different periods, reflecting its long and complex history.[10] The castle buildings represent many of the architectural styles of the last millennium. Prague Castle includesGothicSt. Vitus Cathedral,RomanesqueBasilica of St. George, a monastery and several palaces, gardens and defense towers. Most of the castle areas are open to tourists. The castle houses several museums, including theNational Gallery collection of Bohemianbaroque andmannerist art, exhibition dedicated to Czech history, Toy Museum and the picture gallery of Prague Castle, based on the collection of Rudolph II. TheSummer Shakespeare Festival regularly takes place in the courtyard of Burgrave Palace.
The neighborhood around Prague Castle is calledHradčany.
