- Condition: **
- Year: 2020-11-25
non-traditional view of Prague Castle from the National Theatre
Prague Castle – the ancient symbol of the Czech country – is the major Czech monument as well as one of the top cultural institutions. Prague Castle is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a tradition spanning over 1,000 years. Since the 9th century, it was the seat of Czech princes and later kings. In 1918, it became the seat of Czechoslovak and later Czech presidents. Twice in the history, it was the main residence of the rulers of the Holy Roman Empire.
Prague Castle covers an area of almost 70,000 m². It consists of a large set of palaces and church buildings with diverse architectural styles. The reign of the king and later the emperor of the Luxembourg family, Charles IV, was a period of prosperity for Prague Castle. The construction development continued also during the reign of Charles IV’s son, Wenceslas IV. During the Hussite wars and the following decade, the castle was not inhabited, which resulted into a dilapidation of its buildings and fortifications. Another favourable time came after 1483, when the king from the new Jagellon dynasty settled again in the castle. Together with the new fortifications, defensive towers were built on the north side (Powder Tower, New White Tower, and Daliborka). The next dynasty of kings on the Czech throne, the Habsburgs, began rebuilding the castle, turning it from a medieval castle into a Renaissance mansion. The rebuilding efforts culminated in the reign of Rudolph II. The emperor settled permanently at Prague Castle and began transforming it into a dignified and magnificent centre of the realm. The creation of an independent Czechoslovakia in 1918 necessitated another period of adaptation of the castle for its new functions. The remodelling project, conducted under the auspices of the Czechoslovak President T.G. Masaryk, was designed by the Slovenian architect Josip Plečnik.
Subject of the coupons: a motif from the facade of the Old Town Bridge Tower – a kingfisher in the middle of a twisted towel knotted at the bottom a decorative motif from the lower part of the street lighting stand near the Estates Theatre building
