Zprávy památkové péče 2019, 79(4):458-482 | DOI: 10.56112/zpp.2019.4.06

Constructional changes of the Marian Tower at Karlštejn Castle

Zdeněk Chudárek

NPÚ, GnŘ

Karlštejn Castle consists of five separately fortified parts. The agricultural basis and castle administration were concentrated in the first two lowest situated parts. A longitudinal palace with a cylindrical tower was situated in the third part, which was originally intended to serve the court of Charles IV during his stay at the castle. Only the prismatic towers in the castle's dominant position were initially intended to represent the royal pair. Both towers were built as residential palaces.
The castle was founded around 1348 and gradually grew from the agricultural part with cistern and the entrance courtyard with the Burgrave's house. The longitudinal palace was completed at the latest in 1355, when Charles IV is confirmed to have stayed here. The construction of the smaller tower likely began in 1353 and finished in 1455 or 1456. Only then did the construction of the large tower begin on the highest point of the rock promontory. Both towers are strikingly similar, both in architectural terms, in the layout of the individual floors, but also in their construction and technological procedures. Both prismatic towers are based on a rectangular ground plan in the same aspect ratio. The same original roofing above the upper half-timbered floor is also presumed. Even the shape and size of the window openings was originally almost identical. The massive peripheral walls of the towers (3.5 meters, while the northern peripheral wall of the large tower is over 7 meters) made it possible to free up the entire layout for a singular chamber on the representative floors. The operational spaces, such as the stairways and entrance halls to the privy, as well as chimney vents, could have been inserted into the peripheral walls without taking up part of the interior layout. All floors of both towers initially had flat ceilings; only the operational spaces in the thickness of the peripheral walls were vaulted.
The constructional changes of both towers, realized in the 14th century, are related to two fundamental changes in the use of the castle. The first change was brought about by the decision of Charles IV to store his personal collection of relics at the castle. This decision had to be made no later than the end of 1356, at a time when the smaller tower was completed for residential purposes. In the spring of 1357, the entire smaller tower was handed over to the newly founded Karlštejn Chapter, and two chapels were consecrated on the second floor. The first of them was the Chapel of the Virgin Mary, used for the prayers of the canons, while Charles' collection was stored in the second vault of the Instruments of the Passion of the Lord. Originally, the large Chapel of the Virgin Mary occupied the entire second floor, while the more significant Chapel of the Instruments of the Passion of the Lord was consecrated in a small oratory in the thickness of the southern perimeter wall. The second change of use is related to the large tower, but it also had a significant impact on the appearance of the interior of the smaller tower and probably also on the future patrocinium of the smaller chapel in the thickness of the southern wall. In 1360, or more likely in 1361 after the birth of his son Wenceslas, Charles IV decided to store the imperial treasure, including the imperial insignia, in his private castle. This resulted in the second adaptation of the originally residential space into a chapel, this time on the 2nd floor of the large tower. In 1365, the Chapel of the Holy Cross was consecrated here on the site of the chamber. The new representative corridor into the large tower led from the 2nd floor of the smaller tower by a connecting bridge to the new representative staircase, partially embedded in the southern peripheral wall of the large tower. The Chapel of the Virgin Mary thus became passable and therefore was spatially reduced by this time at the latest. Both towers lost their residential function after 1365. The palace, originally intended primarily for the servants, was subsequently extended for the needs of the emperor by extensions and increased by one floor. The servants could have been served by the palace, later built in the southern yard at the Burgrave's house. In present scientific literature, the opinion prevails which combines both these decisions of Charles IV, meaning that he planned for the placement of imperial insignia at Karlštejn Castle together with the storage of his collection of relics. The chapel in the thickness of the wall on the 2nd floor of the smaller tower was supposed to be a temporary space for storing both the relics collection and the imperial treasure. According to existing research of the architectural development of both towers, one can state with high probability that in 1357, Charles IV did not count on storing the imperial insignia at the castle, and the chapel in the thickness of the wall of the smaller tower was properly consecrated with the patrocinium of the Relics of the Passion of the Lord. From 1359 to 1360, a living room with a fireplace and a privy with anteroom was built on the 2nd floor of the large tower. Construction of the large tower continued according to the original plan at least on the level of the 3rd floor, meaning until 1360 or 1361. The study further describes the construction fates of the smaller tower and their chapels up to the present day with emphasis on two significant periods, specifically the renewal of the castle during the reign of Rudolf II and the restoration of the castle in the late 19th century. The architectural history of the smaller tower was influenced by the decision to cover the roof with shingles at the end of the 16th century. After the following two and a half centuries, this resulted in numerous repairs not only to the roof and roof truss, but also to the ceiling of the Chapel of the Virgin Mary. After many years of efforts, a new roof with durable roofing was installed in the mid-19th century, but after about 30 years this was removed and replaced by a new roof that was architecturally in harmony with the large tower. Since the middle of the 18th century, the construction of the tower was also influenced by the efforts to transfer worship services from the Chapel of the Virgin Mary to the reconstructed and expanded Chapel of St. Nicholas in the imperial palace and the related move of the dean from a smaller tower to the "dean's wing". In addition to the construction of the tower, the study also deals with the period use of the rooms on the lower floors and the chapels with their furnishings. Special attention is also paid to considerations regarding the number and location of the original altars.

Keywords: Karlštejn, smaller Karlštejn tower, architectural development, Chapel of the Relics of the Passion of the Lord, Chapel of the Virgin Mary, constructional and technological principles

Published: December 1, 2019  Show citation