Prague, Nov 19 (CTK) – Prague Castle, the presidential seat, plans to display the Czech crown jewels and replicas of the Gothic royal insignia next year as the main project of the celebrations of the 700th birth anniversary of Charles IV (1316-1378), the organisers told reporters yesterday.
The Castle will launch the celebrations of Charles IV, King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor, on April 2, 2016, at the beggining of the tourist season.
The whole year will be devoted to the personality and era of Charles IV.
Apart from the exhibitions, held on May 13-September 28, the Prague Castle complex alone is a unique artifact from his era, Prague Castle Administration (SPH) director Ivo Velisek said.
The SPH will fund the exhibitions from its own budget and the costs are put at 25 million crowns, Velisek added.
The key exhibition entitled “Sceptre and Crown,” held in the Imperial Stables, will present the royal Czech crown. It will be exceptionally displayed without the Renaissance insignia, but accompanied by replicas of the Gothic insignia from the era of Charles IV. The replicas will be created exclusively for this event.
The number of visitors to the exhibition will have to be regulated as some old valuable manuscripts that need stable climatic conditions will be displayed at the same time. This is why the capacity of the Imperial Stables will be about 600 people a day.
The SPH intends to regulate the number of visitors by a high entrance fee as well. A regular ticket will cost 250 crowns.
The online sale of the tickets is to be launched in box offices at the Castle in December, SPH culture section head Vaclav Beranek said.
Ivana Kyzourova, head of the Prague Castle heritage protection section, said the exhibition would also present less known parts of the crown jewel set and put them into the historical context with the items that Charles IV intended to use for the coronation.
Apart from the copies of the Gothic insignia, which are kept in the treasury in Vienna, oil vessels, coronation gowns and reliquary crosses will be displayed there, along with a picture of Jesus Christ´s face from the Czech royal treasure that was gathered by Charles IV in his 14th-century Karlstejn castle, situated some 30 km southwest of Prague.
The crown chamber where the original jewels are preserved will remain empty for four months and it will be restored thoroughly during the exhibition, Kyzourova said, adding that the previous renovation had been carried out 40 years ago.
($1=25.340 crowns)
