Point d’intérêt
Royal Hall of Ancestors
The Luxembourg dynasty and its lost painted genealogy, known through a later record.
Langue du contenu
The Royal Hall of Ancestors belonged to the ceremonial part of the Imperial Palace. In the Middle Ages, the palace’s second floor contained a painted genealogy of the Luxembourgs, linking members of the dynasty to both real and legendary ancestors. The paintings did not survive the castle’s Renaissance alterations. Their history must therefore be distinguished from the furnishings seen in the rooms today: the original cycle of wall paintings was lost.
The appearance of the genealogy was preserved in the Heidelberg Codex. This record documents decoration that can no longer be read directly from the medieval walls. The hall forms part of the basic tour of Charles IV’s residence. In its sequence, it follows the Audience Hall, alongside the Banqueting Hall, and precedes the castle treasuries. This arrangement connects courtly representation with rooms associated with royal valuables.
Pour les enfants
This part of the palace told the story of the ruling dynasty’s family. The walls once carried the Luxembourg genealogy, showing successive generations. It included both real and legendary ancestors. Such a painting was more than a list of relatives: it also included figures from old stories.
The paintings disappeared during the Renaissance rebuilding. Their appearance was, however, recorded in the Heidelberg Codex, an old book. The hall is visited on the basic tour, after the Audience Hall. The programme continues through ceremonial rooms towards the treasuries.
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