Physical Appearance of Charles IV ****************************************************************************************** * ****************************************************************************************** By Jan Royt (edited) The following information on the physical appearance of Charles IV is taken from the chron Florentine annalist Mateo Villani: “As we can learn from those who have met the emperor, he was of middle height, rather smal of the Germans, hunched, with his neck and cheeks slightly pushed forward, with black hair big eyes and full cheeks, black beard and bald forehead. He wore discreet attire, always c length, with no decorations or accessories. During audiences, he would usually hold a will small knife and carve something with it carefully, just for pleasure. People were kneeling stating their claims and requests, and he would overlook them in a way that they felt he d attention to what they said. Yet he did pay attention, was a keen listener, and answered w well-chosen words, accurately responding to the wishes of the audience, according to his o wasting time on reflections and consultations. At the same time, he performed three action it didn’t affect his judgment: darting view, work of hands, and careful listening and answ extraordinary feat, not something we can see on one man.” However, this historical description must be corrected based on the anthropological survey Professor Emanuel Vlček before the 600th anniversary of Charles’s birth. Having studied th well-preserved skeleton, Professor Vlček assumed that Charles was a man of athletic postur bones, formed by frequent exercises and horse riding. He was 172.5 to 173.5 cm tall – his was considerably distorted by bent, forward-tilted back, which was caused by the kyphosis spine. The state of Charles’s vertebrae also indicates scoliosis (i.e. three-dimensional d spine). The deviation was over a centimeter from the axis. The curvature backwards indicat original height was about 3-4 cm more before the spine injury. Therefore, Charles was real tall (above average in his days), but he looked like 169 or 170 cm. As a young man, he was very active, never missing any opportunity to take part in a duel o Sometimes he fought under a different name and coat of arms, such as in 1347 in městě Roth Tauber. He was also fond of eccentric fashion, and wooed very ostentatiously to burgher la balls and dances. News of his misdemeanors reached Avignon, and Pope Clement VI was very s his mentee and friend: “We heard from many people that some German noblemen, showing pure honor, complain about your dress, way too short and tight, that defies the earnestness req imperial majesty; you also defy your dignity by taking part in fights and tournaments. We, to strengthen your power out of fatherly love, were very confused about that, and we stron Highness to wear appropriately long and loose clothes to show your maturity, to refrain fr tournaments, and to show appropriate earnestness in your actions and conduct, so nothing c you that would be inappropriate and require reprehension; instead, you should fill your ma morals and virtuous deeds.” Professor Vlček discovered numerous unhealed injuries on Charles’s bones. Apparently the m was the injury of a cervical spine, a result of a duel at a tournament. After a strong blu a lance to the left side of his neck, he fell off his horse in full armor, broke his jaw, cervical vertebrae. The results of the injury were apparently clearly visible even fully h why the Emperor's never depicted Charles’s appearance in full; instead, they portray the s idealized form. The most authentic is perhaps Charles’s depiction on the murals in the Vir at Karlštejn Castle (the relics scene). Here, the sovereign is displayed in a side view, w and irregular nose, slashed at the root. The left cheek is hidden. Other pictures aren’t t example, the emperor's bust in the triforium of the St. Vitus’s Cathedral, arguably the mo shows no injuries at all. In his later years, Charles suffered from gout. A heavy strike of this disease hit him dur to France in 1378. Pierre d'Orgemon, Chancellor of the King of France, described it as fol a part of the journey in the chariot, other times he was carried on stretchers between two it was porters who carried the stretchers. In the palace of the French King, he was carrie or in someone’s arms on the stairs when he wanted to see the holy relics in the temple cha mind the pain, he entered Paris on horseback side by side with the French king – he was, a emperor.” The development of the disease was also accelerated by the emperor's diet – from his table always brimmed with good drinks and roasted venison. Physicians kept telling him domestic drinks and switch to good foreign quality wines (Mosel and Rhine). His disease gi understanding why Charles founded Carlsbad, as the hot springs helped him ease his problem last injury was fractured femur collum. He had to resort to a bed as a result, developed p died. Bibliography: VLČEK, Emanuel. Fyzická charakteristika osobnosti Karla IV. Praha: Univerzita Karlova, 199 VLČEK, Emanuel. Fyzické osobnosti českých panovníků. Vol. 2. Čeští králové. Atlas kosterní českých králů přemyslovské a lucemburské dynastie s podrobným komentářem a historickými po Vesmír, 1999. VLČEK, Emanuel. Pádem vzhůru. Úraz Karla IV. ohrožující jeho život. Vesmír 77 (1998), No.