ON THE ORIENTATION OF CZECH CITIES FOUNDED DURING THE 13TH CENTURY

Abstract

During the 13th century the Czech state became a major power, significantly influencing the political

situation in Central Europe. Alongside with the increasing positions of power of the Czech state, important

changes also occurred in the interior of the country. Remarkable economic development led to a process of

urbanization throughout the country's territory. Concurrently in the wider European region similar political,

social and economic changes favored analogous developments, including a new intellectual movement

reviving the ancient Greek natural philosophy, including astronomy. It is certain that this fact did not leave

unaffected the architectural thought and creativity of the era. The present paper studies the orientation of

fifteen of these new Czech towns, developed in the late 13th century, for a possible astronomical connection.