Karlštejn Castle in Czech Literature

Having been originally founded as a resting-place by king and emperor Charles IV. in 1348, the Karlštejn Castle turned into a place for safekeeping of the royal treasures, especially Charle's collection of holy relics and the coronation jewels. The castle was built near Prague, on the rock on the place difficult to reach between several hills. Mathias of Arras, the court master-builder, took part in building the castle, which was finished in 1365 when the Chapel of the Holly Cross was consecrated and coronation jewels were transferred there. During the Hussite wars the castle was being besieged in 1422, however it was not captured. The coronation jewels having been transferred to Prague in 1619 for good, the importance of the castle was diminished. Karlštejn withstood even a Swedish siege in 1648, however, it was severely damaged. Later, the castle became a dowry estate of Czech queens and empresses, who used it for various purposes. It did not happen until 1822 that emperor Franz I. ordered the castle to be reconstructed. The reconstruction was finished only in 1897. The first time Karlštejn was open to the public was in 1910. The castle became a state possession in 1954 and eight years later was declared as a national heritage. Nowadays, it is one of the most visited sights in the Czech Republic