First Courtyard & The Matthias Gate: Portal of Emperors

Why is it significant?

Stand in the sweeping expanse of Hradčanské Square, looking directly at the monumental iron gates flanked by towering sandstone statues of wrestling Titans.

Key Facts

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Stand in the sweeping expanse of Hradčanské Square, looking directly at the monumental iron gates flanked by towering sandstone statues of wrestling Titans. Beneath their poised clubs stand the stoic Castle Guards in formal ceremonial uniforms, guarding the principal threshold of the largest ancient castle complex in the world. Just behind them rises the early Baroque facade of the Matthias Gate, built in sixteen fourteen as a freestanding triumphal arch before later wings enclosed it. Prague Castle has served as the political nerve center of the Czech lands for well over a millennium, from medieval Bohemian dukes and Holy Roman emperors to modern elected presidents. Emperor Rudolf the Second transformed these courtyards into a vibrant capital of European Renaissance culture, filling his imperial chambers with astronomers, alchemists, and master painters. Look closely at the arch of the Matthias Gate: its Latin inscriptions proclaim the imperial titles of Emperor Matthias the Second, yet when construction first began, the gate stood alone as a symbolic gateway surrounded only by royal orchards, long before the surrounding neoclassical facades were unified by Empress Maria Theresa. Pass through the dark vaulted passage into the second courtyard, feeling the cool draft that flows between the thick stone walls toward the cathedral.