Page:Guide to the Bohemian section and to the Kingdom of Bohemia - 1906.djvu/56

42 manded by the magnificent ''Cathedra! of St. Vitus’'', one of the most noteworthy gothic buildings in Central Europe, founded in 1344 by the Father of his people, Charles I., and built through many generations by several masters builders; Matthew of Arras, Peter Parler; partly also by Beneš of Loun and others. It contains artistic treasures of immense value, and a church treasury, which in itself is a splendid Museum of medieval goldsmith carving and braziers’ artistic work. This treasury as well as the curious chapel of St. Wenceslaus, the walls of which are inlaid with precious jasper stones, achates, chalcedons, amethysts and carneols have no equal in the whole of Europe. The epitaph of the saint can be seen, as well as his original mail-shirt of the Xth. century.

With the Cathedral vie in importance; not only for the Bohemian nation but also for the history of Central Europe, the older parts of the Royal Castle with the spacious gothic Wladislaus-Hall (which is 68·27 meters long, 19 m. broad) a magnificent work of the Bohemian architect Rejsek z Prostějova, built in 1484—1502. Under the lofty gothic arches of this hall, even tournaments have been fought, and the kings of Bohemia have received here at coronation-feasts the homage of their subjects, and at the banquets, the stewards and cupbearers on horseback waited upon the assembled nobility of Bohemia, who were perhaps the richest and proudest of the whole of Central Europe. The other parts of the Castle, especially its still preserved medieval fortifications, bastions and towers, the old Bohemian Chancery with the former rooms of the landregistry (zemské desky, an institution similar to the Doomsday book of England) makes the Castle of Prague an object of interest not easily equalled by any other. From the old Chancery in 1618, the imperial viceregents were thrown out through the windows into the depths below, and this famous „defenestration“ was the beginning of the 30 years’ war. Then there is the old romantic basilica of St. George, founded in 973 by Milada, the sister of duke Boleslav II., with two, steeples of white masonry, and containing the tomb of St. Ludmila and a series of beautiful frescoes from the XIth. century; the gothic church of the Holy Ghost from the XIth. century with an independent chapter of Canons;