Old Royal Palace by Vaclav Jansa - Prague, Czech Republic
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ToRo61
N 50° 05.446 E 014° 24.068
33U E 457161 N 5548895
Old Royal Palace of Prague Castle by Vaclav Jansa
Waymark Code: WMTWZZ
Location: Hlavní město Praha, Czechia
Date Posted: 01/16/2017
Views: 34
Splendid Old Royal Palace (Stary kralovsky palac) on the third courtyard used to be the seat of Bohemian princes. It was founded in the 9th century and since then has been changed significantly by great emperors Sobeslav I, Charles IV, Wenceslas IV and Vladislav Jagiello. Sobeslav I built a Romanesque palace around 1135, the remnants of which can be seen in the cellar of the present building.
Vladislav Jagiello decided to make big changes and hired Benedikt Ried to build the Vladislav Hall on the top floor of the palace and a palace wing called after his son Ludwig. Habsburk dynasty used the palace for coronations, assemblies, government offices and depositories.
During the World War II. the Czech Crown Jewels were hidden in the Old Royal Palace to be protected from the air-raids. Nowadays the Old Royal Palace with its spectacular halls is a part of the Prague Castle’s long and short tours.
The Vladislav Hall used to be the largest secular hall of medieval Prague. From the 16th century was used for coronation festivities, knights’ tournaments, balls or markets with luxurious goods. Knights on horseback could enter the hall by climing Rider’s Staircase. The hall is now used for the elections of the president of the Czech Republic and for ceremonious state events. There is a beautiful view of Prague from the observational gallery on the southern part of the Vladislav Hall.
The author of this painting is Václav Jansa. You can find this painting in book 'Starou Prahou Václava Jansy' (
visit link) .
Vaclav Jansa (October 22, 1859 Slatinice - June 29, 1913 Cernošice) (
visit link) Czech landscape artist and illustrator, best known for these views, originally painted in water-colour.
Jansa was apprenticed to buyers, but later he devoted himself to his hobby of drawing and painting. Vaclav Jansa traveled a lot and took to painting landscapes. He painted mostly southern Bohemia and Giant Mountains. Since 1893 was redeveloped historic districts of Prague, Prague ghetto and parts of the Old and New Town. In this time Jansa painted cca 150 colored watercolors documenting disappearing part of the city.