Matthias Gate, Baroque gate at Prague Castle, Czech Republic

Matthias Gate is a triumphal-arch portal of grey ashlar between the first and second courtyards of Prague Castle. A tall central arch is flanked by two smaller rectangular openings, with a stucco inscription panel above reading MATTHIAS and the date 1614, two obelisk-like pinnacles at the outer corners, and a frieze of Habsburg coats of arms.

The gate was probably begun under Rudolf II and completed in 1614 under Matthias, whose stucco inscription panel alone dates from that year. Giovanni Maria Filippi is considered its architect. During Theresian rebuilding, Nicolò Pacassi incorporated the freestanding gate into new wings and filled in the moat.

The gate takes its name from the Latin inscription that Matthias, elected Roman Emperor and King of Hungary and Bohemia, had it built in 1614. The metopes of the Doric frieze carry the coats of arms of the Habsburg hereditary lands, from Upper Lusatia to Lower Lusatia.

The structure connects the first and second courtyards of the castle, serving as a main passage between different sections of the complex. Visitors should note this is a high-traffic area, especially during morning and early afternoon hours.

The gate's lower section mixes rusticated stonework with the Tuscan order, and its frieze metopes carry the coats of arms of the Habsburg hereditary lands, from Upper Lusatia to Lower Lusatia. The upper storey uses the Ionic order, and the three keystones above the side entrances sit off-centre, a deliberate Mannerist device.