Old Royal Palace / Starý královský palác (Prague) - Wikipedia Entries on Waymarking.com

The Old Royal Palace (Starý královský palác) is part of the Prague Castle, Czech Republic. Its history dates back to the 12th century and it is designed in the Gothic and Renaissance styles.

The Old Royal Palace is the most significant secular building of the Prague Castle. It is an extensive complex of buildings, halls and corridors whose origins date back to the very beginning of the Czech state more than a thousand years ago. Until the 16th century Czech rulers stayed there if they were present in the Prague Castle. The highest governmental offices resided there until the 18th century and at present time the most important state events take place there. The Palace is based on a Romanesque palace of prince Sobeslav I, built in the first half of the 12th century. It was then extended during the reign of Premysl Otakar II and then Charles IV had it rebuilt later on. After the Hussite Wars, the Palace was restored by King Vladislav of Jagiello who also had the transverse wing constructed. The last major alterations were done by Ferdinand I Hapsburg after a massive fire in 1541. Let us name the most interesting parts of the many historical premises inside the Old Royal Palace.

The central part of the palace is the spectacular late Gothic Vladislav Hall (Vladislavský sál), the jewel of Prague’s late Gothic architecture. It is 62 m long, 16 m wide and 13 m high and in its epoch it was the largest secular hall of Medieval Prague and the whole Europe. Vladislav Hall was built in place of three Gothic chambers above the Charles Chamber between 1492 and 1508 by King Vladislav of Jagiello based on a plan by architect Benedikt Ried. The hall has a breathtaking star-shaped tracery vault. Large windows in north and south sides are some of the first evidences of Renaissance style penetrating this part of Europe. The Hall served as a venue for balls, conventions, court hearings, bazaars, feasts and knightly tournaments.