Editing Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor (section)

=== Patronage of culture and the arts ===

[[File:Karl IV HRR.jpg|thumb|upright|Statue of Charles IV near [[Charles Bridge]] (1848), Prague, by [[Ernst Julius Hähnel]]]]

[[Prague]] became the capital of the Holy Roman Empire during the reign of Charles IV. The name of the royal founder and patron remains on many monuments and institutions, for example [[Charles University]], [[Charles Bridge]], [[Charles Square]]. [[Czech Gothic architecture|High Gothic]] [[Prague Castle]] and part of the [[Saint Vitus Cathedral|cathedral of Saint Vitus]] by [[Peter Parler]] were also built under his patronage.  Finally, the first flowering of manuscript painting in Prague dates from Charles's reign. In the present [[Czech Republic]], he is still regarded as ''[[Pater Patriae]]'' ([[Father of the Nation|father of the country]] or ''otec vlasti''), a title first coined by [[Adalbertus Ranconis de Ericinio]] at his funeral.

Charles also had strong ties to [[Nuremberg]], staying within its city walls 52 times and thereby strengthening its reputation amongst German cities.  Charles was the patron of the [[Nuremberg Frauenkirche]], built between 1352 and 1362 (the architect was likely [[Peter Parler]]), where the imperial court worshipped during its stays in Nuremberg.

Charles's imperial policy was focused on the dynastic sphere and abandoned the lofty ideal of the Empire as a universal monarchy of [[Christendom]]. In 1353, he granted the [[Duchy of Luxembourg]] to his half-brother, [[Wenceslaus I, Duke of Luxembourg|Wenceslaus]]. He concentrated his energies chiefly on the economic and intellectual development of Bohemia, where he founded the university in 1348 and encouraged the [[Renaissance humanism|early humanists]]. He corresponded with [[Petrarch]] and invited him to visit the royal residence in Prague, whilst the Italian hoped – to no avail – to see Charles move his residence to Rome and reawaken tradition of the [[Roman Empire]].

Charles's sister [[Bonne of Bohemia|Bona]] married the eldest son of [[Philip&nbsp;VI of France]], the future [[John&nbsp;II of France]], in 1335. Thus, Charles was the maternal uncle of [[Charles&nbsp;V of France]], who solicited his relative's advice at [[Metz]] in 1356 during the [[Parisian Revolt]]. This family connection was celebrated publicly when Charles made a solemn visit to his nephew in 1378, just months before his death. A detailed account of the occasion, enriched by many splendid miniatures, can be found in Charles V's copy of the ''[[Grandes Chroniques de France]]''.