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Období klidu se ale střídala s dobami horečné stavitelské aktivity, zejména tehdy, když se Praha načas stala sídelním císařským městem; sídlo císaře Svaté říše římské muselo být nejen dostatečně reprezentativní, aby odráželo význam a lesk panovnické moci, ale mělo být i obrazem nebeského Jeruzaléma, symbolu ideální harmonie a dokonalosti, k níž směřuje všechno to lidské pachtění.
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The city’s magic lies not only in its landscape setting – extraordinarily beautiful in Prague’s case and unique in Europe – but particularly in the hundreds of years development of streets and public spaces, fortifications, church compounds, aristocratic residences and townsmen’s houses as well as dwellings of craftsmen and peasants. For long periods Prague used to be a quiet provincial town – or rather a small town according to modern criteria – in the mid-18th century there had been only 60,000 people in 3,100 houses living in the Prague quarters and even then Prague was the largest town in the Czech lands and the fifth most populated town in the Habsburg monarchy. Quiet periods were followed by periods of feverish building activity; particularly when Prague temporarily became the Emperor’s residential town. Place of residence of the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire must have been representative enough to reflect the importance and splendour of the monarch’s power, the residence should have been a picture of heavenly Jerusalem, a symbol of ideal harmony and perfection to which all people’s efforts was directed. The whole Emperor’s court and ambassadors from neighbouring countries followed the Emperor and came to live in Prague, excellent architects and builders followed as well as outstanding artists and craftsmen all came to Prague to win commissions from the state, nobility or townsmen. Life in Prague became a prestigious matter for many and the town’s significance flourished.
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