The Chapel of the Holy Rood

At the opposite end of the Second Courtyard from the Rudolf Gallery stands the Chapel of the Holy Rood.

It was built during reconstruction of the Castle based on designs of Anselmo Lurago, during the period of Empress Maria Theresa. Between 1852 and 1856 the chapel was rebuilt and decorated with paintings by Vilém Kandler and Josef Navrátil.

Since 1961, the treasures of St Vitus Cathedral have been displayed in the chapel, and items include liturgical articles, vessels, reliquaries and other items. The most significant are the helmet and chainmail shirt of St Wenceslas (ninth/tenth century), the sword of St Stephen (tenth century) and a fourteenth-century Gothic coronation cross.