The royal crown, apple and scepter will be on display in the Vladislav Hall of Prague Castle from Tuesday 17 to Monday 30 September as part of the celebration of St. Wenceslas’ anniversary. This year, the exhibition with the subtitle “Mysterious power of stones” will focus specifically on the gemstones with which the jewels are decorated.
The coronation jewels will be displayed in the Vladislav Hall of the Old Royal Palace, together with a special display case with precious stones. The first visitors will see them on Tuesday, September 17. A day earlier, in the presence of seven key holders, they will be ceremoniously picked up from the Crown Chamber in the Cathedral of St. Vít, Václav and Vojtěch, transferred to the Vladislav Hall, and inspected by restorers.
The exhibition of the crown jewels will last from September 17 to 30, visitors can get to it every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The exception is both Thursdays, which are reserved for schools. On Thursday, September 19, visitors will not be able to see the jewels at all, on Thursday, September 26, the exhibition will be open for them from 1 p.m.
This year, the entrance will be from Hradčanské náměstí through the gate to the Southern Gardens and through the Býčí staircase to the III. courtyard and to the Old Royal Palace. Along the way, there are toilets and the possibility to buy small snacks. Before entering the hall, there is a dressing room. The exhibition is free. Due to operational reasons, prams cannot be allowed to enter the exhibition, they cannot be allowed into the Vladislav Hall and the waiting area is not barrier-free either. After the daily capacity of the exhibition is filled, the organizers will close the gate to the Southern Gardens and the queue itself, so that people do not wait unnecessarily on the given day.
Visitors in wheelchairs (when presenting a valid ZTP or ZTP/P card, accompanied by one person) can get to the exhibition directly from III. courtyard. The same goes for school groups, whose visit is subject to prior reservation via the Castle’s website.
Due to preparations for the exhibition, the Old Royal Palace will be closed from Tuesday 10 to Monday 16 September. The second closing is scheduled after the end of the exhibition, on Tuesday, October 1. The cathedral will be closed to tourists on the day the jewels are removed, i.e. Monday, September 16.
The novelty of this year’s exhibition will be holographic animation
At the end of his life, Charles IV gave the thirteen green emeralds and sixty pearls that dominated the coronation of St. Wenceslaus’s crown in 1347. removed and had the crown set with blue sapphires. Thanks to the novelty of this year’s exhibition, the holographic animation, visitors will for the first time see the crown as it originally looked during the coronation. In addition, on the way to the display case with the crown jewels, they will have the opportunity to get to know individual gems in detail, including in the form in which they are found in nature.