Czech Crown Jewels and The Story of Prague Castle

From the Pictured Brochure:

The Story of Prague Castle

The Thousand Year History of the Place where Czech Statehood Unfolded

The Story of Prague Castle - The Exhibition

Old Royal Palace (Gothic Floor)
April - October (Summer Season) 9am to 6pm
November - March (Winter Season) 9am to 4pm
Duration of visit about 1 hour 30 minutes

The exhibition is divided into two parts.

The first of these chronologically presents the major representatives of the Czech state, the key events and building development of the Prague Castle complex from prehistory to the present. This also includes interactive programmes with visualizations of the building development of the castle complex in nine stages and a wealth of information about the given periods, including brief summaries of well-known historical events in Europe, the Bohemian lands and Prague Castle itself.

The second part the Stories, develop certain themes linked with Prague Castle: The Story of Bohemian Patrons, The Story of the Church and Cathedral, The Story of Burials, The Story of Residences, The Story of Heating, The Story of Banquets, The Story of Coronations.

The Story of Prague Castle - The Film

There is also a Film: Prague Castle Through The Ages which shows daily in both Czech and English. The documentary presents the hidden corners of the castle in a montage of unusual perspectives on architecture, artworks and old prints. The mindsets of those who built and ruled the castle are presented through quotations from historical chronicles and manuscripts.

Screening Times (as of October 2008)
Czech Version: 9:00am, 10:30am, noon, 1:30pm, 3pm
Additional summer screening: 4:30pm
English Version: 9:45am, 11:15am, 12:45pm, 2:15pm
Additional summer screenings: 3:45pm and 5:15pm

The film is shown in the room above the Gothic floor - access from the Riders' Staircase, running time of 40 minutes.

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I loved this exhibition, although I did not see the documentary. Prague castle is littered with history and it was grand to have it all laid out so comprehensively in one place. Of course, my main fascination is always with the crown jewels. So I particularly enjoyed seeing the Bohemian crown jewels. Recommended. Especially if you like bling. Stop by the official Story of Prague Castle website for more info.

Tower of London - Beheadings, Torture and the Crown Jewels

The Tower of London - General History

The Tower of London is located in Central London on the north bank of the river Thames. It is comprised of the original White Tower built in 1078 by William the Conqueror, surrounded by an inner wall with 13 towers, an outer wall with 5 additional towers and a moat. It has over the centuries been a palace, a prison, a zoo, the Royal Mint, an observatory, an armory and a treasury, as well as a place of execution and torture. My personal favorite is that it has been the home of the United Kingdom's crown jewels since 1303.

On my last visit to London I was only in town for about 24 hours on a long lay over so I didn't get to visit the shiny wonders again. However, I did have time to snap a pic of the Tower at Night.
This photo was taken from the nearest Tube stop to the Tower of London, Tower Hill.

The Tower of London - Beheadings and Torture

While inside the torture chamber many tools were used, the best known is the Rack. These methods were used to extract information from prisoner. A charge of heresy was more likely to bring a turn on the rack. Condemned lower class criminals were usually hung. Higher profile prisoners were beheaded publicly, while women and a few other nobels were beheaded inside the complex privately. Treason was the most common reason for beheading and the list of people who lost their heads includes:

• King Baliol of Scotland (1296)
  
• William Wallace (1305)
  
• Sir Thomas Moore (1535)
• Anne Boleyn (1536)
• Thomas Cromwell (1540)
  
• Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury (1541)
• Catherine Howard (1542)
• Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford (1542)
• Lady Jane Grey (1554)
• Guy Fawkes (1606)
• Sir Walter Raleigh (1618)
• Last Execution(firing squad): Josef Jakobs (1941)
  

The Tower of London - Home of the Crown Jewels

The Tower became home to the Crown Jewels in 1303 after they had been stolen from Westminister Abbey. Most of the Crown Jewels were melted down by Oliver Cromwell in 1649 after the establishment of the Commonwealth. Upon Charles II Restoration, most of the regalia were replaced. St Edwards Crown, made in 1661, is commonly used in the coronation ceremoney. This Crown includes 444 precious stones and is purportedly heavy and uncomfortable to wear.

Imperial State Crown, British Crown Jewels housed in the Tower of London

The Imperial State Crown was made in 1937. This crown boasts 2,868 diamonds (including the Lesser Star of Africa Diamond), 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds and five rubies (including the Black Princes's Ruby). The Crown Jewels kept in the tower are considered to be one of the largest jewelery collections in existence.