New Castle Stairs by Vincenc Morstadt - Prague, Czech Republic
Posted by: 
ToRo61
N 50° 05.367 E 014° 23.940
33U E 457008 N 5548749
A vista from New Castle Stairs
Waymark Code: WMV284
Location: Hlavní město Praha, Czechia
Date Posted: 02/11/2017
Views: 42
New Castle Stairs are the following part of Thunovská Street and they lead into the front zone of Prague Castle. Castle Stairs were built as early as in 1278, soon after when Ottokar II of Bohemia had had the castle fortification re-modified. They were extended in 1670. Since 14th century title of Steps had been used, later on it was name of Castle Stairs. In 1829 naming New Castle Stairs was introduced, however name of Castle Stairs returned in 1870.
There have always been busy and active traffic on these stairs. After they had been extended, also horses were ridden there. Mostly young aristocrats were riding like that. The older criticised on their doing. At the lower entrance to the stairs a gate was erected in 1600, it might have been done to increase Castle security. However, it was soon found as purposeless and thus it was destroyed in 1613. When a high wall was installed along the stairs towards Paradise Garden, in 1722 Czech Chamber was negotiating with sculptor Ferdinand Maxmilián Brokof, and wanted him to make plastically represented Calvary into its alcoves. However, the plan has not been realized. As the stairs were very busy, they were occupied with beggars in the past. It is said that there were tens of them. They had their own organization and strictly paid attention that no foreign transient paupers begged on the stairs.
The author this painting is Vincenc Morstadt. You can find this painting in book 'Praha v obrazech Vincence Morstadta' (
visit link) .
Vincent Morstadt (
visit link) (1802-1875), a court clerk by profession, was the most famous painter of urban vistas in Bohemia in the 19th century.