Last weekend saw the historical parade of Emperor Charles IV that headed to Karlštejn in order to symbolically deposit the royal crown and coronation insignia at the castle. It is a known fact that Charles built the imposing castle for the purpose of depositing the already mentioned jewels and saintly relics. It is, however, also known that the royal jewels were taken to the castle later by Charles’s son Václav IV, even though we don’t have an explicit record about the event.
Historical sources avoid the event of royal jewels being deposited at Karlštejn. Nobody has found a record about the transfer of the royal crown, the sceptre and the pome, to Karlštejn. Still, historians state that in the beginning of the 15 th century the coronation jewels were transferred here along with other items.
This statement is based on a preserved document stating that it was from Karlštejn that the jewels were transported to the Czech king’s seat for the coronation of Sigismund that took place in 1420. Immediately after the coronation they were taken back to the castle. It is also known that the imperial coronation crowns were at the castle as well because they were, together with the Czech ones, at the beginning of the Hussite Wars taken from Karlštejn and carried abroad. After Sigismund regained the Czech throne, he returned only the Czech coronation jewels to their original location at the castle, whereas the imperial ones stayed permanently abroad. We also know the exact date when the jewels were definitively moved from Karlštejn to Prague Castle. It happened on 22 nd June 1619, and it was decided upon by Czech leaders of the Estate Uprising. The reason for the change of location was the development of military technology! According to those who made the decision, Karlštejn wasn’t able to play a role of impregnable fortress if challenged with modern weapons any more…
Foundation stone laid on 10 th June 1348
All indications show that the year 1348 was a year when Emperor Charles IV was bursting with energy. He managed to found Prague University within a few months, to lay the foundation stone for the Prague New Town and to inaugurate the building of an impressive gothic castle.
The castle was from the beginning designed to serve as an impregnable fortress, protecting behind its thick walls what was most precious for Charles IV – saintly relics and royal power attributes, such as coronation jewels and important documents. Regarding the location of the castle, Charles IV chose an ideal place. The castle was built on a rock promontory. It was from the Berounka River’s direction hidden behind the valley’s meanders and steep slopes which had a conveniently sufficient distance from the castle and couldn’t therefore be used by potential invaders.
The inauguration took place on 10 th June 1348 in presence of Charles IV and the first Archbishop Arnošt of Pardubice. The presence of the Archbishop indicates also that he was acquainted beforehand with the main purpose of Karlštejn – the castle that was composed of several fortified parts. The building took place from 1348 to 1357; the indoor decoration was finished seventeen years after the foundation stone was laid.
After many twists and turns, conversions, repairs and changes of owners (which we deal with at other place), in 1918, that is ninety years ago, Karlštejn became a property of the state and was opened for public. In 1962 it was proclaimed as a national monument and nowadays is the most visited castle in the Czech Republic.
Source:www.praha.eu
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