In 1526, the Hapsburgs began to make changes to a Renaissance style, building the Summer House in the Royal Garden and the Ballgame Hall, which are two of the prettiest Renaissance buildings in the Castle.�In 1541, "That famous Castle of St. Wenceslas was burnt down to the ground except for the Black Tower which is above the lower gate and in which debtors are usually imprisoned for their debts. The second tower, as is called Daliborka, in which more serious convicts are kept, also remained...The excellent chapel of All Saints in front of the Palace, once exquisitely erected at great cost under Emperor Charles and costly decorated with stone carvings and other stonemasons work and beautified with excellent glasses, burnt in and out ignominiously so that affored a horrible and sorry sight to every good man". (Vaclav Hajek of Libocany, On evil event...)
After the fire a major Renaissance renovation took place. Emperor Ruldoph II c. 1600 turned the Castle into a center for art and science and a gallery for his rich collections.
1603, "Inside the Castle there is a stable, one of the best equipped in Europe, as it has always some three hundred horses originating from all possible countries, which are most beautiful in the world. Then there is a bestiary with lions, leopards and civet-cats and a raven as white as snow, as well as a ballgame hall in the French manner. The great hall used to be the throne hall of Bohemian Kings. From its windows it is possible to overlook the whole city with the bridge. About nine or ten o'clock numerous gentlemen promenade in that hall and there are also innumerable merchants". (Pierre Bergeron, Report from a Journey)
1612, "...the above named Abbess had shown and proved before the Commissioners that the previous Abbesses of the same convent had premitted some persons, for a certain sum of money, to build tiny houses on that site which is called Goldsmiths Lane...However, some houses were built without permission directly in front of the windows of the convent and the smoke of their chimneys annoys the whole convent. Moreover, food is cooked and beer and wine are sold in several places which gives rise to much disorder and clamour and other improperieties". (Memorial of St. George's Convent)
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