Prague Journal

Sunday, July 17, 2005.

After a typical Czech breakfast of cheeses, meats, bread, yogurt and fruit at the pension, we drove to the baroque castle at Manetin. Manetin originally was a Johannite knights´monastery. From 1622 to 1945, the monastery was property of the Lazansky family of Bukova. The Church of St. John the Baptist (Virgin Mary of Loretto) dates from 1712 - 1719. The Church is connected by a covered passageway to the Manetin chateau.
One of the more interesting tours was our visit to the Cistercian monastery in Plasy. We were not able to go into the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, but the convent was amazing, especially the painted ceilings and the blend of architecture and waterways. The Plasy manor was given to the Cistercian Monastery by King Wenceslas II in 1144. Our tour of the monastery included the Baroque Chapel, Strettius Gallery, and Exhibition of Pharmacies. (There is a contemporary art exhibition along the corridor walls, which I think detract from the baroque atmosphere and the ornate ceiling murals.) We saw the little Church of St. Wenceslas, and walked around the mausoleum of the Metternichs nearby.
Our last tour of the day was at Karlštejn Castle, the best known Gothic castle in the Czech Republic. We were almost late for our tour because we stopped for a drink at the café nearby. We had forgotten that it takes about 30 minutes to walk up the castle path from the parking lot. We had to take a taxi, but we were in time for our 4pm tour. We had been to Karlštejn 7 years ago, and remembered many of its feataures. The Church of the Holy Cross in the Great Tower, which dominates the skyline, was closed for renovations when we were here before, and has only been reopened since 2000. The church vaults are decorated with semi-precious stones, set in the shape of crosses, and contain the castle’s unique collection of portraits of saints, popes, bishops, and other religious leaders. Above the altar is a niche enclosed by golden bars, where the crown jewels and relics were once placed. The vault’s decorations show a sky containing stars, the moon, the sun and the five planets that were known at that time.
Karlštejn is one of the most notable Czech castles and one of the more famous symbols of the Czech Kingdom. It was founded in 1348 by Czech King and Roman Emperor Charles IV. The castle is built on three levels: The first level contained residential rooms used by the emperor, his wife and their court. The second level was a place of catharsis, housing the Church of Our Lady and Charles IV’s private chapel, which was connected to the church by a narrow corridor. The chapel was devoted to St. Catherine, his patroness. The highest point of the castle was the tower which is the site of the Chapel of the Holy Cross, symbolizing “Heavenly Jerusalem.”
Charles IV originally intended Karlstjn Castle to be place of relaxation but, during more than seven years of construction, its role began to change. Ultimately, the crown jewels and various religious relics were housed here, and during Charles’s reign the castle was predominately a representative seat. In the course of the Hussite wars, Karlštejn was a frequent target for attacking Hussites; in 1422, its fortifications proved strong enough to withstand a siege. In the late 15th century some alterations were made to the castle, in the Late Gothic style. In particular, reconstruction of the Great Tower altered the outline of the castle. Between 1578 and 1597, during the reign of Rudolf II, extensive reconstruction was carried out in the Renaissance style. In 1625, Emperor Ferdinand II downgraded Karlštejn’s status, and the castle and its dominion became the dowry of Czech queens. Maria Theresa donated the dominion to a noblewomen’s institute, and it was only in the late 18th century that Karlštejn’s historic significance was appreciated. Under the guidance of architect Josef Mocker, a “regothicization” of the castle began in 1887, involving the demolition of some castle buildings and the construction of new ones. With much the same appearance that it has today, the castle was first opened to the public in 1910. Eva and Honza’s tour was the last of the day, so we were almost the last ones to leave the castle grounds.
Before heading home, we went to see the Amerika limestone quarry, now an abandoned, water logged quarry just off the main road towards Prague. We headed home at 7:30, arriving at Eva and Honsa’s flat shortly after 8pm. Immediately we started mushroom preparations for 5-course mushroom dinner. Honsa had brought camping refrigerator in the car to keep mushrooms cool, but it didn’t feel cool at all when we got it home. Maybe it was not very cool because the car was very hot from sitting in the sun on a warm day. So, while three of us prepared dinner – lots of mushroom chopping and stirring, Rick looked up tour coverage. Honsa was master chef. I must admit I have never seen, much less tasted, so many mushrooms. Needless to say, we had a wonderful dinner.

posted by JWinn @ 10:40 PM