Carnevale vulgo carnival or if you want in Czech  "maso - pusť alias Masopust "/leave meat alias Shrovetide - used to be celebrated boisterously in Prague and in the Czech lands every year. Let's try to  revive its atmosphere and imagine how people used to enjoy this wonderful period, how they spent these festive days, how they dressed, what they ate or how they rejoiced each other during the carnival.

 

Carnival history in Bohemian Kingdom

First records about Shrovetide celebrations in Bohemia and Moravia date back to the period from the 2nd half of the 13th century to the 1st half of the 14th century in different sources.

It is sure that "time to amuse" started by the time each society -  or more precisely its top - had solved basic subsistence problems. Czech lands weren't  threatened directly or in any war conflict and there was certain balance, though fragile as the health of Gothic beauties.

Towns flourished., business had its definite rules and people knew very well, that the sovereign is strong, right, and kind. Nobody would be surprised, if masopust /carnival had arrived to the Czech lands at the time of Charles IV Luxembourg ( 14.5.1316 - 29.11.1378 ), Czech and Lombardian king, Roman emperor. It seems logical also in regard of Charles's close connections to Italy and his more than friendly attitude to art and artists. But it is not possible to prove this fact.

In every case with the arrival of Renaissance came also the climax of Shrovetime period - carnevale came to the Czech lands with new intensity, as entertainment of the rich.

Aristocrats decided to have the same, what they had seen on their travels and visits abroad.

And many times they  tried to overtake their models. For sure this suceeded at the Prague Castle in the Renaissance period, when the  prestige of Prague Carnival festivities was well known all over Europe.   That which Giuseppe Arcimboldo produced and staged for the emperor in the year 1570, would cost nowadays Hollywood producers a lot of sleepless nights, spek nothing of the money.