Rudolf II was a Habsburg Holy Roman Emperor (reigned 1576–1612). He made Prague his capital and is known for being more absorbed in art, learning and mysticism than in politics. He invited the astronomers Tycho Brahe and Kepler to his court and supported many alchemists and astrologers, and Prague came to be called a “city of magic.”
He owned a vast collection of rare artworks, natural objects and machines (a cabinet of curiosities), which included the giant Codex Gigas. Tradition also says he bought the Voynich Manuscript for 600 ducats.
