World's largest ancient building: Prague Castle
According to the Guinness World Records, Prague Castle is the largest ancient building in the world. It is located on top of a hill, on the left bank of the Vltava River, which runs through the old center of the Czech capital. It covers an area of nearly 70,000 square meters, has a length of 570 meters and a width of 130 meters. It's the historical and political center of the state and the residence of all the Czech kings throughout time.
The whole citadel is made up of several precinct walls, castles and courtyards, all clustered around the St. Vitus Cathedral, the former royal and imperial necropolis.
The castle itself is was dated for the first time in the IX century, but the additions were made with other several occasions. Consequently, the castle includes several different architectural styles, including the Romanesque palace built in the XII century and the result of an act of reconstruction from the XIV century, which displays a Gothic style. The medieval castle was built of clay and stone, and is completed by a traditional trench. The castle passed through several periods of prosperity, including the period of Emperor Charles IV reign, in the middle of the fourteenth century. At that time, it became a royal residence and the throne of the Holy Roman Empire.
Another milestone in the history of the castle was the year 1483 when the new fortifications were built. After a fire in 1541, in the sixteenth century, the castle was expanded. The last construction major action took place in the second half of the eighteenth century, however, when the capital was moved to Vienna, has had to cope with difficult times. Currently, the reconstruction continues in an effort to open up the whole ensemble. In addition, the castle is now not only the residence of the head of state, but is also sheltering the crown jewels, relics of Bohemian kings and Christian relics and important historical documents.
