Through the Three Castle Courtyards

The first Castle courtyard, an invitingly open, noble court, is entered from Hradčanské Square. In earlier days the approach to the Castle was not so easy. Across the first courtyard and Hradčanské Square, a deep ravine used to run splitting in two the ridge of the Castle hill. In the time of Přemysl Otakar II, this natural defence for the Castle, was transformed into the first castle moat, equipped with a drawbridge. Beyond it were a further two moats, which had to be dug out, approximately at the edge of the first and second courtyards. The internal moats were already filled in by the 16th century but the first remained until the extensive rebuilding of the Castle by Maria Theresa in the second half of the 18th century. The court architect Niccolo Pacassi built in its place a new row of buildings in the shape of a horseshoe, decorated with sculptures of allegories of war and peace by sculptor Ignác František Platzer the Elder. This decoration and austere facade express the imperial majesty of the Hapsburgs and differs in character from the playfulness of the palaces and houses of the Prague Baroque.

The courtyard is separated from Hradčanské náměstí by the entrance gate with a Rococco grill and monumental statues of fighting giants, below which stand the Castle guards.

Incorporated into the front of the building is the Matyášova brána (the Mathias Gate) built in 1614 by the architect Giovanni Maria Filippi and one of the earliest Baroque buildings in Prague. Originally the gate used to stand freely and only after 150 years did it become surroundeded by the noble Maria Theresa extentions. To the right of the passage through the gateway leads a staircase to the state rooms of the Maria Theresa wing, presently used by the President of the Republic for official audiences. On the left a contemporary grand staircase provides a new approach to the Španělský Sál (Spanish Hall).

In the second Castle courtyard buildings of varied age and character had survived. Their facades however were modified by Niccolo Pacassi to display the same appearance as his own buildings in the first courtyard. Through this uniformity the Castle lost its diversity of shapes and proportions in favour of a cold stateliness. The layout of the courtyard was completed in the second half of the 16th century by the filling-in of the two previously mentioned moats. The north wing was built mainly in Emperor Rudolf II's reign. The accommodation on the ground floor was used for Ferdinand and Rudolf's stables and later on as storage for carriages. In Rudolf's stables nowadays is the picture gallery of Prague Castle, a small part of the Emperor Rudolf's former gallery. Among the most significant works remaining are Titian's “Toilet of a Young Woman” and Rubens'“The Gathering of the Olympian Gods”. In the vicinity of the gallery, traces were discovered of what is presumed to be the first Prague church - the Church of the Virgin Mary. In its foundations the remains of two skeletons were found, probably belonging to Prince Spytihněv and his wife.

On the first floor of the wing, Rudolf II began the construction of the famous Spanish Hall. This is said to be the most imposing hall in Prague Castle but it has not kept its original appearance and has been substantially altered many times.

The opposite south wing stands on the site of a palace inhabited by Anna Jagellon and her ladies in waiting. Somewhere here for a long time was the main entrance into the Castle from Malá Strana (Small Quarter). In the courtyard, the Kaple sv. Kříže (The Chapel of the Holy Rood) juts out, built by Niccolo Pacassi in place of the kitchens of the Emperor Charles VI. In the middle of the last century the chapel was adapted to meet the needs of the Austrian ex Emperor Ferdinand the Good and his wife Maria Anna of Sardinia. From this period date the paintings on the ceiling with biblical themes by Josef Navrátil and Vilém Kandler.

The middle of the courtyard is enlivened by a Baroque fountain, the work of stone-mason Francesco de Torre and sculptor Jeroným Kohl in 1686. Nearby stands a well with a Baroque wrought iron cover.

Through the passage alongside the Romanesque pillars of the Soběslav fortifications, we reach the third Castle courtyard. We turn right, to the corner behind today's post office. From this easily missed vantage point, we have a complete view of the courtyard, and the St Vítus Cathedral is spread out before us. From here the modern mosaic of the paving is very noticeable, below which are hidden the foundations of the 12th century church which used to be connected by a covered passage with the basilica of St. Vítus.

Here there are buildings of varied age unified by their Pacassi facades. Approximately where we are standing was the entrance gate to the Castle - Bílá věž (the White Tower). The 30 metre tall building was also used as a prison, in which were incarcerated the lover and later husband of Queen Kunhuta, Záviš from Falkenštenjn, and also King Wenceslas IV, imprisoned by the rebellious nobility. Further on the rooms of the Emperor Rudolf II can be found and next to them other rooms built by the Emperor Ferdinand III for his wife Mary Anne of Spain. After 1830, the exiled French King Charles X also lived there briefly. In the east the courtyard is enclosed by the Old Palace, which we will examine more closely in a separate walk.

Next to the main entrance of the Cathedral of St Vítus is the Baroque kapitulní probošství (the Deanery), decorated with a statue of St Wenceslas from 1662 by Jan Jiří Bendl. At first a Romanesque episcopal palace was here, whose wall with its tiny window, is visible on the east side of the building. Adjoining the house was the kaple sv Mořice (Chapel of St Maurice), demolished in 1880 during work on the completion of the cathedral. The chapel's foundations are preserved under a covered area next to the cathedral.

Near to the monolith made of Mrakotín granite stands a copy of a renowned Gothic statue of sv. Jiří (St George), whose original is in the National Gallery. The statue was cast in 1373 by the iron founders Jiří and Martin from Kluž. It is considered probably the oldest surviving, free-standing statue in Bohemia sited in the open air. (Gothic statues are normally connected to walls of cathedrals and monasteries, forming only an addition to the decoration and frequently not even finished at the back. The statue of St George however was regarded as a work of art in its own right, with its own merit and therefore worthy of being sited independently). So far it is not known where its precise location was originally. It has been in its current place since the time of the Plečnik alterations to the Castle. We end our walk through the Castle courtyard beside this precious monument.

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Walking Tour Route Map

Tour Legend

1. First Castle courtyard (První hradní nádvoří)
2. Second Castle courtyard (Druhé hradní nádvoří)
3. Third Castle courtyard (Třetí hradní nádvoří)