The Prague of Charles IV. – Royt Jan (2016)

This book presents a vivid image of Prague, the capital of the Bohemian Kingdom, during the High Gothic period and places the city in the broader historical context of its golden age under Charles IV (1346–1378). After Charles’s coronation as Holy Roman Emperor in 1355, Prague became, for the first time in history, both the capital of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown and the capital of the Holy Roman Empire. Supported by royal and imperial care that reflected Charles’s Western European education, cosmopolitan outlook and respect for the Bohemian royal tradition, Prague flourished into a unique and beautiful city. The cathedral, stone bridge, university, New Town and its churches, arranged in a distinctive cross pattern, remain visible reminders of this period. Prague’s Gothic architecture forms the artistic backbone of a city renowned for its painting, sculpture and haunting music. With photographs of Prague’s historic monuments and sights, this account of the medieval roots of one of the world’s most visited and beloved cities combines history, cultural guide and art book.