King John of Bohemia laid the foundation stone of the present Gothic cathedral on November 21, 1344, with Charles IV as chief patron. Matthias of Arras designed the layout and built only the easternmost choir. Peter Parler took over after Matthias died in 1352 and built the St. Wenceslaus Chapel from 1356 to 1364. Josef Mocker took over the reconstruction in 1873, Kamil Hilbert followed his design, and the cathedral was consecrated on May 12, 1929. The western half is a Neo-Gothic addition.
The cathedral is 407 feet (124 m) long and 197 feet (60 m) wide, and the main tower is 337 feet (102.8 m) high. A Romanesque rotunda stood here from about 930, and a larger Romanesque basilica was begun in 1060.
The St. Wenceslaus Chapel holds over 1,300 semi-precious stones and can be viewed only from the doorways. The Bohemian crown jewels are kept behind a door with seven locks. Alfons Mucha decorated windows in the nave.
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