Page:Guide to the Bohemian section and to the Kingdom of Bohemia - 1906.djvu/238

204 iron bridge and enter Budňany, glance at St. P. Palmatin’s church (1356) and ascend to the most famous and historicallly important castle of Bohemia, the monument of the ancient power and glory of the kingdom. It was founded by Charles IV., in 1348. The building operations were under the direction of Mathias of Arras, and when finished was consecrated in 1357, by the archbishop Ernest of Pardubic. It was intended to be an impregnable treasury for the safe keeping the royal regalia, crown jewels, important documents and holy relics of the Bohemian kingdom and the German empire. No expense was spared in its construction. The situation of the castle, in the centre of five surrounding hills is very impressive and picturesque some years ago, a systematic restoration of the decayed castle was begun, and now the sight of the royal residence of olden time with its reception hall, the church of the Holy Virgin and St. Catherines chapel; and above all, the strong central tower with the chapel of the Holy Cross, where the regalia und jewels were kept, awake the most vivid interest. All the walls of the Sanctuaries were decorated with polished stones (mostly from Turnov in Bohemia) inlaid in gilt stucco; the ceiling of the chapel of the Holy gross, represented the starred sky—with sun and moon. The devastating effects of successive wars, are even now not entirely obliterated. A well 547m in depth situated on the western edge of the rock is the source of the castle’s water supply.

It will interest English visitors to know that the castle had a garrison of auxiliary troops from England during the short reign of Frederic the Palatin (1619—1620). All the glory of the castle departed in 1625, when Ferdinand I, and Maria Theresia endowed the new Institute of noble ladies in the Hradčany in Prague, with the landed property of the castle.

The next station is Beroun an old town situated in a broad valley; bordered at the northern side by the range of hills called Brdy. The decanal church of St. James, first claims our attention. It was founded in 1353, there are several pictures by Molitor and a baptismal font of pewter by Flamming. In the church of the Holy Virgin, founded 1519, are to be seen pictures by Barbieri. Part of the