Vyšehrad (also spelled Wyschehrad , German: Prager Hochburg , English: "upper castle") is a historic fort in Prague , Czech Republic , just over 3 km southeast of Prague Castle , on the east bank of the Vltava River . It was probably built in the 10th century. Inside the fort are the Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul and the Vyšehrad Cemetery , containing the remains of many famous Czechs, such as Antonín Dvořák , Bedřich Smetana , Karel Čapek , and Alphonse Mucha . It also contains Prague's oldest Rotunda of St. Martin, from the 11th century.
7-637: Established in 1869 on the grounds of Vyšehrad Castle in Prague , Czech Republic , the Vyšehrad Cemetery ( Czech : Vyšehradský hřbitov ) is the final resting place of many composers, artists, sculptors, writers, and those from the world of science and politics. The centerpiece of the cemetery is the Slavín tomb designed by Antonín Wiehl , a large and notable tomb located within Vyšehrad cemetery. Some of
14-750: A renovation in the 17th century, when the Habsburg monarchy took over the Czech lands after the Thirty Years' War and remodeled it in 1654 as a Baroque fortress, turning it into a training center for the Austrian Army , and later incorporating it into the Baroque city walls. The present form of Vyšehrad as a fortified residence, with powerful brick ramparts, bastions, and the Tábor and Leopold gates,
21-586: A royal seat. Later the whole complex was renewed by Charles IV and new fortifications, with two gates and a royal palace were built, while the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul awaited repair. At the beginning of the Hussite Wars , the Hussites conquered and ransacked Vyšehrad in 1420. The troops of King George of Poděbrady did the same in 1448. The castle was then abandoned and became ruined. It underwent
28-606: Is a result of Baroque remodeling. The Cihelná brána (Brick gate) is an Empire-style structure, dating from 1841. The main part of the Špička Gate, parts of the Romanesque bridge, and the ruined Gothic lookout tower known as Libušina lázeň (Libuše's Bath) are the only fragments that have been preserved from the Middle Ages . The Romanesque rotunda of St. Martin dates from the second half of the 11th century. The 11th century Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, which dominates Vyšehrad,
35-579: The famous Czechs interred here: Vy%C5%A1ehrad Castle Local legend holds that Vyšehrad was the location of the first settlement which later became Prague, though thus far this claim remains unsubstantiated. Legend has it that Duke Krok founded Vyšehrad while looking for a safer seat than in Budeč . On a steep rock above the Vltava river, he ordered a forest to be cut down and a castle built there. Also according to legend, Prince Křesomysl imprisoned
42-527: The knight Horymír at Vyšehrad because he damaged silver mines, and Horymír jumped with his horse Šemík over the walls and from Libuše's bath into the river. When the Přemyslid dynasty settled on the current site of Prague Castle , the two castles maintained opposing spheres of influence for approximately two centuries. The zenith of Vyšehrad was during the second half of the 11th century, when Vratislav II transferred his seat from Prague Castle to Vyšehrad, and
49-463: The original fort was remodeled as a complex comprising the sovereign's palatial residence, a church, and the seat of the chapter. The period of growth ended around 1140 when Prince Soběslav moved his seat back to Prague Castle. When Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV began to build the Prague Castle in its current dimensions in the early 14th century, the deteriorating Vyšehrad was abandoned as
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