VYŠEHRAD around the year 1140
VYŠEHRAD around the year 1140
Reconstruction for the time of its greatest glory, around the year 1140.
(Made on the basis of archaeological research and old illustrations.)
Vyšehrad, originally a fortress safeguarding access to Prague Castle from the south, was at the time of Prince Boleslav II († 999) a »military camp« as well as a mint, and short after the seat of Prince Jaromír. It reached its greatest glory under the Přemyslid Vratislav II (1061- 1092) who promoted Vyšehrad to the residential castle of Czech princes and aggrandized it considerably, mainly by founding a Chapter subordinated directly to the Pope and the related construction of the Cathedral (Romanesque basilica) of St. Peter and Paul. The castle was surrounded by new, already stone walls and apart from the princely palace and houses and huts of church dignitaries and princely officials, the gated compound comprised four more sanctuaries (the Rotunda of St. Martin from that time has been standing there up to the present day). The glory of Vyšehrad grew even more when in 1085, Prince Vratislav was promoted to the first Czech king. His successors resided and were also buried here – the most important being the princes Vladislav I (1109 - 1125) and Soběslav I (1125 - 1140). Our view of Vyšehrad is exactly from the time of the reign of Soběslav I, when the central church had already been finished and the castle turned into a fortress.