List of statues on Charles Bridge
Encyclopedia
There are 30 statues mounted to the balustrade of Charles Bridge
in Prague
. They form two rows, one on each side. For the purpose of this article, they are listed in the order they are passed when crossing the bridge from the Old Town to the Lesser Quarter, and are divided into two categories: those on the north side of the bridge and those on the south side. The statue of Bruncvík is also included, although it is not considered one of the principal statues.
Damage caused to the statues over many years has resulted in many of the originals being replaced by copies.
Statue of St. Ivo
(sousoší sv. Iva or Ivona) The original was made by Matthias Braun
in 1711, paid for by the Law faculty of Charles University
. The statue portrays St. Ivo as the patron saint of lawyers, accompanied by an allegorical depiction of Justice.
Statues of saints Barbara
(sousoší sv. Barbory, Markéty a Alžběty) The statues were sculpted by Ferdinand Brokoff
in 1707. Although there is an inscription saying IOANN BROKOFF FECIT (made by Jan Brokoff
), their style is evidence that his son Ferdinand is their true author.
Statue of the Lamentation of Christ
(sousoší Piety) Designed by Emanuel Max in 1858, upon commission from the Old Town's public authorities, the statue depicts Mary Magdalene
and the Virgin Mary mourning the dead Christ. At this position on the bridge, there was originally a wooden crucifix, which was destroyed by a flood in 1496. In 1695, a statue depicting the lamentation of Christ by Jan Brokoff
was installed here; this was removed to the Monastery of Gracious Nurses under Petřín hill in Prague in 1859 and replaced by the current statue.
Statue of St. Joseph
(socha sv. Josefa) This statue was designed by Josef Max and sponsored by Josef Bergmann, a tradesman in Prague. It depicts St. Joseph leading a small Christ, and is situated on a pseudo-Gothic base. It replaced a statue with the same motif by Jan Brokoff, designed in 1706. This was damaged by cannon fire during the 1848 revolution and was replaced by the current statue in 1854.
Statue of St. Francis Xavier
(sousoší Františka Xaverského) This statue is a 1913 replica by Čeňek Vosmík of Ferdinand Brokoff's original 1711 sculpture. The original sculpture was commissioned of the Faculty of Theology and Philosophy of Charles University
, but fell into the river during the floods of 1890. The statue depicts a group of Indian and Japanese princes being baptized by the saint.
Statue of St. Christopher
(socha sv. Kryštofa) This statue was designed by Emanuel Max in 1857 and sponsored by Václav Wanek, the portreeve of Prague. It depicts the saint holding Christ as a boy on his shoulder. The statue was originally conceived by Count Antonín Sporck, who wanted to build a marble statue as tribute to Charles VI
in 1720. A plan of this was created by Matthias Braun, which was not executed.
Statue of St. Francis Borgia
(sousoší sv. Františka Borgiáše) This statue was commissioned from Ferdinand Brokoff by the imperial Burgrave František z Colletů in 1710. The sculpture portrays St. Borgia, a Jesuit priest, with two angels.
Statue of St. Ludmila
(socha sv. Ludmily) The exact date and sculptor responsible for this statue are not known, although it is believed that it was created by Matthias Braun around 1730. The sculpture was erected on the bridge in 1784 to replace the statue of St. Wenceslas damaged in the floods in that year. The statue depicts St. Ludmila teaching her grandson, St. Wenceslas and the base contains a relief sculpture showing the murder of St. Wenceslas.
Statue of St. Francis of Assisi
(socha sv. Františka Serafinského) Sculpted by Emanuel Max in 1855, the statue was donated by count František Antonín Kolowrat Liebsteinský. It portrays St. Francis standing with two neoclassic
angels, on a pseudo-baroque base. The sculpture replaced a similar statue designed in 1708 by František Preis.
Statue of Saints Vincent Ferrer
(sousoší sv. Vincence Ferrarského a sv. Prokopa) One of the most artistically important pieces on the bridge, this statue was sculpted by Ferdinand Brokoff in 1712, paid for by Romedius Josef František, the count Thun and lord of Choltice. St. Vincent is on the left of the group, with a coffin and a kneeing penitent sinner by his legs. Saint Procopius of Sázava stands on a devil to the right.
Beside the statue of St. Vincent and Procopius stands a column with a sculpture of Bruncvik, a mythical Bohemian knight (inspired by the Saxonian and Bavarian knight Henry the Lion
from Brunswick
) portrayed helping a lion fight a seven-head dragon. This was sculpted by Ludvík Šimek in 1884 and sponsored by the City of Prague. The knight Bruncvík is holding a golden sword, with a lion lying by his legs. This replaced a statue of Roland
, erected in 1502, and was intended to remind passers-by of the Old Town's privileges, in particular the right to charge tolls and duty. This statue was damaged by cannon fire when the city was attacked by Swedish forces
in 1648.
Statue of St. Nicholas of Tolentino
(socha sv. Mikuláše Tolentinského) Sculpted by Jan Bedřich Kohl in 1708, this statue was paid for by the Augustinian order convent of St. Thomas in Prague. The saint is portrayed standing on a simple base, together with an angel holding a basket of bread.
Statue of St. Adalbert
(socha sv. Vojtěcha) Designed by Michael
and Ferdinand Brokoff
in 1709, this statue was sponsored by Markus Bernard Joanelli, the councilor of the Old Town of Prague. The saint is represented with a prelate stick developing into a sea paddle and is standing on a base decorated with angels and the emblem of the donor.
Statues of Saints John of Matha
(sousoší sv. Jana z Mathy, Felixe z Valois a Ivana) The most spacious and expensive sculpture on the bridge, this was designed in 1714 by Ferdinand Brokoff and sponsored by František Josef Thun, the lord of Klášterec nad Ohří. The sculpture was intended to honour the two founders of the Trinitarians, the order that supervised buying back and redeeming of Christians in captivity under Turks. St. Ivan, the saint patron of Slavs was added to the group for unknown reasons. The base depicts a cave in which three chained Christians are praying to the Lord for salvation.
Statue of the Madonna
(Czech: sousoší Madony se sv. Bernardem) This statue was sculpted by Matěj Václav Jäckl in 1709 and donated by the abbot
of the Cistercian monastery in Osek, Benedikt Littwerig.
Statue of the Madonna
(sousoší Madony se sv. Dominikem a Tomášem Akvinským) This group was sculpted by Matěj Václav Jäckel in 1708, and sponsored by the Dominicans
Convent
of St. Giles in the Old Town of Prague. The statue portrays the Madonna giving the Rosary to St. Dominic on the left, with St. Thomas Aquinas standing to the right.
(sousoší Kříže s Kalvárií) This sculpture is one of the most historically interesting sculptures on the bridge, which gradually gained its present appearance throughout many centuries. The original wooden crucifix was installed at this place soon after 1361 and probably destroyed by the Hussites in 1419. A new crucifix with a wooden corpus was erected in 1629 but was severely damaged by the Swedes
towards the end of the Thirty Years' War
. The remnants of this crucifix can be found in the lapidarium
of the National Museum in Prague. This was replaced by another wooden Calvary which, in turn, was replaced with a metal version in 1657. Bought in Dresden
, this crucifix was originally made in 1629 by H. Hillger based upon a design by W. E. Brohn. In 1666, two lead figures were added, but these were replaced in 1861 by the present sandstone statues by Emanuel Max, portraying the Virgin Mary and John the Evangelist
.
The golden Hebrew
text on the crucifix was added in 1696. It was placed there as punishment for a Prague Jew, Eliass Backoffen, who had been convicted of debasing the Holy Cross by defecating next to it. The text is derived from the words of the prophet Isaiah
and reads, in English, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts. These words, which are the origin of the Sanctus in the Mass, are an important confession of faith in the Jewish tradition as well; their placement in this context has been perceived by some as offensive. A bronze tablet with explanatory text in Czech, English and Hebrew was mounted under the statue by the City of Prague in 2000. The tablet's placement came after an American Rabbi, Ronald Brown of Temple Beth Am in Merrick, New York was passing over the bridge and noted the possibly offensive nature of the placing of the text. Upon a direct request to the mayor, the tablet was soon placed in front of the statue.
Statue of St. Anne
(socha sv. Anny) Designed by Matěj Václav Jäckel in 1707, at the expense of count Rudolf of Lisov, the hetman of the New Town of Prague, this statue represents St. Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary, who is portrayed here as a young girl.
Statue of St. Cyril
(sousoší sv. Cyrila a Metoděje) This statue was sculpted by Karel Dvořák between 1928 and 1939 and was erected by the Ministry of education. It portrays the saints (missionaries
who introduced Christianity to the Slavs
The original statue of St. Ignatius which stood here, designed by Ferdinand Brokoff in 1711, was displaced by the floods of 1890 and can now be found in the Prague lapidarium
.
Statue of St. John the Baptist
(socha sv. Jana Křtitele) Sculpted by Josef Max in 1857, at the expenses of Jan Norbert Gemrich of Neuberk, this statue depicts a standing St. John. This replaces a statue by Jan Brokoff, portraying the Baptism of Jesus by St. John, which stood in this position between 1706 and 1848.
Statue of Saints Norbert of Xanten
(sousoší sv. Norberta, Václava a Zikmunda) This statue was designed by Josef Max in 1853, under the patronage of the abbot of Strahov Monastery, Dr. Jeroným Zeidler.
Statue of St. John of Nepomuk
(socha sv. Jana Nepomuckého) This statue is the oldest on the bridge. The original clay design was made by Austrian sculptor Matthias Rauchmüller, based upon a wood model by Jan Brokoff. The statue was then cast in bronze by Volfgang Jeroným Heroldt in Nuremberg
. The saint is presented in a traditional way, as a bearded capitulary with a five-star glory, standing on a tripartite base. The base portrays scenes from the life of St. John of Nepomuk, including the confession of Queen Johanna and the saint's death. In 1393 St. John of Nepomuk was thrown from the bridge into the river where he drowned. In modern times it has become traditional to touch the bridge here; this is held to bring good fortune and to ensure that the visitor will return to the city of Prague.
Statue of St. Anthony of Padua
(socha sv. Antonína Paduánského) Designed by Jan Oldřich Mayer in 1707 and sponsored by Krištof Mořice Withauer, councilor of the Prague Castle
burgraviate
, this statue represents St. Anthony standing between two vases, holding Jesus.
Statue of St. Jude Thaddeus
(socha sv. Juda Tadeáše) This sculpture portrays St. Jude holding a rod. It was sculpted by Jan Oldřich Mayer in 1708 and paid for by František Sezima, the knight Mitrovský from Nemyšle and Jeřichovice.
Statue of St. Augustine
(socha sv. Augustina) Designed by Jan Bedřich Kohl in 1708 and paid for by the Augustinian convent of St. Thomas in Prague, this portrays the philosopher holding a book and a burning heart. He is followed by an angel attempting to pour the sea out of a sea-shell.
Statue of St. Cajetan
(socha sv. Kajetána) This statue was sculpted by Ferdinand Brokoff in 1709, and sponsored by the convent of Theatins in Prague. The Saint, founder of the religious order of Theatins, is portrayed holding a book and standing before an obelisk representing the Trinity.
marble and donated by the Servites convent in Prague. The statue portrays St. Philip Benitius, fifth general of the Servites, holding a cross, a book and a spray. By his legs there is the crown of the Pope. A clay model of this statue can be found in the Salzburg
museum.
Statuary of St. Vitus
(socha sv. Víta) Sculpted by Ferdinand Brokoff in 1714, this statue was donated by Matěj Vojtěch Macht of Löwenmacht, the dean of the Vyšehrad
canonry. St. Vitus is portrayed standing on a base in the shape of cave, from which lions crawl up. The Saint is depicted as a Roman
aristocrat, martyred for his faith. Duke Wenceslas acquired a number of his relics to honor the founding of St. Vitus Cathedral
at Prague Castle. These relics, together with others acquired by Charles IV
in 1355, are embedded in the cathedral building.
Statue of the Holy Savior with Cosmas and Damian
(sousoší sv. Salvatora se sv. Kosmou a Damiánem) Designed by Jan Oldřich Mayer in 1709, at the expense of the faculty of medicine, University of Prague, this statue portrays Jesus with the patron saints of medicine placed on either side.
Charles Bridge
The Charles Bridge is a famous historic bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague, Czech Republic. Its construction started in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV, and finished in the beginning of the 15th century...
in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. They form two rows, one on each side. For the purpose of this article, they are listed in the order they are passed when crossing the bridge from the Old Town to the Lesser Quarter, and are divided into two categories: those on the north side of the bridge and those on the south side. The statue of Bruncvík is also included, although it is not considered one of the principal statues.
Damage caused to the statues over many years has resulted in many of the originals being replaced by copies.
Statue of St. IvoIvo of KermartinSaint Ivo of Kermartin , also known Yvo or Ives, as Erwann and as Yves Hélory , was a parish priest among the poor of Louannec, the only one of his station to be canonized in the Middle Ages. He is the patron of Brittany, lawyers, and abandoned children. His feast day is May 19...
(sousoší sv. Iva or Ivona) The original was made by Matthias BraunMatthias Braun
Matthias Bernard Braun was a sculptor and carver active in the Czech lands, one of the most prominent late baroque style sculptors in the area....
in 1711, paid for by the Law faculty of Charles University
Charles University in Prague
Charles University in Prague is the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1348, it was the first university in Central Europe and is also considered the earliest German university...
. The statue portrays St. Ivo as the patron saint of lawyers, accompanied by an allegorical depiction of Justice.
Statues of saints BarbaraSaint BarbaraSaint Barbara, , Feast Day December 4, known in the Eastern Orthodox Church as the Great Martyr Barbara, was an early Christian saint and martyr....
, Margaret and ElizabethElisabeth of HungaryElizabeth of Hungary, T.O.S.F., was a princess of the Kingdom of Hungary, Countess of Thuringia, Germany and a greatly-venerated Catholic saint. Elizabeth was married at the age of 14, and widowed at 20. She then became one of the first members of the newly-founded Third Order of St. Francis,...
(sousoší sv. Barbory, Markéty a Alžběty) The statues were sculpted by Ferdinand BrokoffFerdinand Brokoff
Ferdinand Maxmilian Brokoff was a sculptor and carver of the Baroque era....
in 1707. Although there is an inscription saying IOANN BROKOFF FECIT (made by Jan Brokoff
Jan Brokoff
Jan Brokoff, also known as Johann Brokoff, was a baroque-era sculptor and carver.Brokoff was of German origin, born in Spišská Sobota, today in Slovakia, then in Royal Hungary, and later working and living in Bohemia...
), their style is evidence that his son Ferdinand is their true author.
Statue of the Lamentation of ChristChristChrist is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
(sousoší Piety) Designed by Emanuel Max in 1858, upon commission from the Old Town's public authorities, the statue depicts Mary MagdaleneMary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
and the Virgin Mary mourning the dead Christ. At this position on the bridge, there was originally a wooden crucifix, which was destroyed by a flood in 1496. In 1695, a statue depicting the lamentation of Christ by Jan Brokoff
Jan Brokoff
Jan Brokoff, also known as Johann Brokoff, was a baroque-era sculptor and carver.Brokoff was of German origin, born in Spišská Sobota, today in Slovakia, then in Royal Hungary, and later working and living in Bohemia...
was installed here; this was removed to the Monastery of Gracious Nurses under Petřín hill in Prague in 1859 and replaced by the current statue.
Statue of St. JosephSaint JosephSaint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ ....
(socha sv. Josefa) This statue was designed by Josef Max and sponsored by Josef Bergmann, a tradesman in Prague. It depicts St. Joseph leading a small Christ, and is situated on a pseudo-Gothic base. It replaced a statue with the same motif by Jan Brokoff, designed in 1706. This was damaged by cannon fire during the 1848 revolution and was replaced by the current statue in 1854.Statue of St. Francis XavierFrancis XavierFrancis Xavier, born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta was a pioneering Roman Catholic missionary born in the Kingdom of Navarre and co-founder of the Society of Jesus. He was a student of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and one of the first seven Jesuits, dedicated at Montmartre in 1534...
(sousoší Františka Xaverského) This statue is a 1913 replica by Čeňek Vosmík of Ferdinand Brokoff's original 1711 sculpture. The original sculpture was commissioned of the Faculty of Theology and Philosophy of Charles UniversityCharles University in Prague
Charles University in Prague is the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1348, it was the first university in Central Europe and is also considered the earliest German university...
, but fell into the river during the floods of 1890. The statue depicts a group of Indian and Japanese princes being baptized by the saint.
Statue of St. ChristopherSaint Christopher.Saint Christopher is a saint venerated by Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians, listed as a martyr killed in the reign of the 3rd century Roman Emperor Decius or alternatively under the Roman Emperor Maximinus II Dacian...
(socha sv. Kryštofa) This statue was designed by Emanuel Max in 1857 and sponsored by Václav Wanek, the portreeve of Prague. It depicts the saint holding Christ as a boy on his shoulder. The statue was originally conceived by Count Antonín Sporck, who wanted to build a marble statue as tribute to Charles VICharles VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles VI was the penultimate Habsburg sovereign of the Habsburg Empire. He succeeded his elder brother, Joseph I, as Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia , Hungary and Croatia , Archduke of Austria, etc., in 1711...
in 1720. A plan of this was created by Matthias Braun, which was not executed.
Statue of St. Francis BorgiaFrancis BorgiaSaint Francis Borgia, 4th duke of Gandía, 3rd Father General of the Jesuit Order, Grandee of Spain, was a Spanish Jesuit and third Superior General of the Society of Jesus. He was canonized on 20 June 1670.-Early life:He was born Francesco Borgia de Candia d'Aragon within the Duchy of Gandía,...
(sousoší sv. Františka Borgiáše) This statue was commissioned from Ferdinand Brokoff by the imperial Burgrave František z Colletů in 1710. The sculpture portrays St. Borgia, a Jesuit priest, with two angels.Statue of St. LudmilaSaint LudmilaSaint Ludmila is a Czech saint and martyr venerated by the Orthodox and the Roman Catholics. She was born in Mělník as daughter of a Slavic prince Slavibor...
(socha sv. Ludmily) The exact date and sculptor responsible for this statue are not known, although it is believed that it was created by Matthias Braun around 1730. The sculpture was erected on the bridge in 1784 to replace the statue of St. Wenceslas damaged in the floods in that year. The statue depicts St. Ludmila teaching her grandson, St. Wenceslas and the base contains a relief sculpture showing the murder of St. Wenceslas.Statue of St. Francis of AssisiFrancis of AssisiSaint Francis of Assisi was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. He founded the men's Franciscan Order, the women’s Order of St. Clare, and the lay Third Order of Saint Francis. St...
(socha sv. Františka Serafinského) Sculpted by Emanuel Max in 1855, the statue was donated by count František Antonín Kolowrat Liebsteinský. It portrays St. Francis standing with two neoclassicNeoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
angels, on a pseudo-baroque base. The sculpture replaced a similar statue designed in 1708 by František Preis.
Statue of Saints Vincent FerrerVincent FerrerSaint Vincent Ferrer was a Valencian Dominican missionary and logician.-Early life:Vincent was the fourth child of the Anglo-Scottish nobleman William Stewart Ferrer and his Spanish wife, Constantia Miguel. Legends surround his birth...
and ProcopiusProcopius of SázavaSaint Procopius of Sázava was a Czech saint. He studied at Prague where he was also ordained. He was a canon and a hermit and then became the founding abbot of Sázava near Prague. He is an alleged author of the Reims Gospel....
+ Bruncvík column
(sousoší sv. Vincence Ferrarského a sv. Prokopa) One of the most artistically important pieces on the bridge, this statue was sculpted by Ferdinand Brokoff in 1712, paid for by Romedius Josef František, the count Thun and lord of Choltice. St. Vincent is on the left of the group, with a coffin and a kneeing penitent sinner by his legs. Saint Procopius of Sázava stands on a devil to the right.Beside the statue of St. Vincent and Procopius stands a column with a sculpture of Bruncvik, a mythical Bohemian knight (inspired by the Saxonian and Bavarian knight Henry the Lion
Henry the Lion
Henry the Lion was a member of the Welf dynasty and Duke of Saxony, as Henry III, from 1142, and Duke of Bavaria, as Henry XII, from 1156, which duchies he held until 1180....
from Brunswick
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
) portrayed helping a lion fight a seven-head dragon. This was sculpted by Ludvík Šimek in 1884 and sponsored by the City of Prague. The knight Bruncvík is holding a golden sword, with a lion lying by his legs. This replaced a statue of Roland
Roland
Roland was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the Matter of France. Historically, Roland was military governor of the Breton March, with responsibility for defending the frontier of Francia against the Bretons...
, erected in 1502, and was intended to remind passers-by of the Old Town's privileges, in particular the right to charge tolls and duty. This statue was damaged by cannon fire when the city was attacked by Swedish forces
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
in 1648.
Statue of St. Nicholas of TolentinoNicholas of TolentinoSaint Nicholas of Tolentino , known as the Patron of Holy Souls, was an Italian saint and mystic.-Biography:...
(socha sv. Mikuláše Tolentinského) Sculpted by Jan Bedřich Kohl in 1708, this statue was paid for by the Augustinian order convent of St. Thomas in Prague. The saint is portrayed standing on a simple base, together with an angel holding a basket of bread.Statue of St. Luthgard (Dream of St. Luthgard)
(socha sv. Luitgardy) Possibly the most valuable piece of art on the bridge, the statue of St. Luthgard was sculpted by Matthias Braun in 1710 as a commission from Evžen Tyttl, the abbot of the Cistercian monastery in Plasy.Statue of St. AdalbertAdalbert of PragueThis article is about St Adalbert of Prague. For other uses, see Adalbert .Saint Adalbert, Czech: ; , , Czech Roman Catholic saint, a Bishop of Prague and a missionary, was martyred in his efforts to convert the Baltic Prussians. He evangelized Poles and Hungarians. St...
(socha sv. Vojtěcha) Designed by MichaelMichael Brokoff
Michael Johann Joseph Brokoff was a Czech sculptor of the Baroque era, working with sandstone....
and Ferdinand Brokoff
Ferdinand Brokoff
Ferdinand Maxmilian Brokoff was a sculptor and carver of the Baroque era....
in 1709, this statue was sponsored by Markus Bernard Joanelli, the councilor of the Old Town of Prague. The saint is represented with a prelate stick developing into a sea paddle and is standing on a base decorated with angels and the emblem of the donor.
Statues of Saints John of MathaJohn of MathaSaint John of Matha was a Christian saint of the 12th century and founder of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity. He was born on 1154 at Faucon-de-Barcelonnette, France. As a youth, he was educated at Aix-en-Provence, and later studied theology at the University of Paris...
, Felix of Valois, and Ivan
(sousoší sv. Jana z Mathy, Felixe z Valois a Ivana) The most spacious and expensive sculpture on the bridge, this was designed in 1714 by Ferdinand Brokoff and sponsored by František Josef Thun, the lord of Klášterec nad Ohří. The sculpture was intended to honour the two founders of the Trinitarians, the order that supervised buying back and redeeming of Christians in captivity under Turks. St. Ivan, the saint patron of Slavs was added to the group for unknown reasons. The base depicts a cave in which three chained Christians are praying to the Lord for salvation.Statue of St. Wenceslas
(socha sv. Václava) This statue was designed by Karel Böhm in 1858 and was based on the design by Josef Kamil Führing. The statue was paid for by the Institute of the Blind at Klárov, Prague. Until 1822, various little shops stood on this part of the bridge.Statue of the MadonnaMadonna (art)Images of the Madonna and the Madonna and Child or Virgin and Child are pictorial or sculptured representations of Mary, Mother of Jesus, either alone, or more frequently, with the infant Jesus. These images are central icons of Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox Christianity where Mary remains...
attending to St. BernardBernard of ClairvauxBernard of Clairvaux, O.Cist was a French abbot and the primary builder of the reforming Cistercian order.After the death of his mother, Bernard sought admission into the Cistercian order. Three years later, he was sent to found a new abbey at an isolated clearing in a glen known as the Val...
(Czech: sousoší Madony se sv. Bernardem) This statue was sculpted by Matěj Václav Jäckl in 1709 and donated by the abbotAbbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of the Cistercian monastery in Osek, Benedikt Littwerig.
Statue of the MadonnaMadonna (art)Images of the Madonna and the Madonna and Child or Virgin and Child are pictorial or sculptured representations of Mary, Mother of Jesus, either alone, or more frequently, with the infant Jesus. These images are central icons of Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox Christianity where Mary remains...
, Ss. DominicSaint DominicSaint Dominic , also known as Dominic of Osma, often called Dominic de Guzmán and Domingo Félix de Guzmán was the founder of the Friars Preachers, popularly called the Dominicans or Order of Preachers , a Catholic religious order...
and Thomas AquinasThomas AquinasThomas Aquinas, O.P. , also Thomas of Aquin or Aquino, was an Italian Dominican priest of the Catholic Church, and an immensely influential philosopher and theologian in the tradition of scholasticism, known as Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Communis, or Doctor Universalis...
(sousoší Madony se sv. Dominikem a Tomášem Akvinským) This group was sculpted by Matěj Václav Jäckel in 1708, and sponsored by the DominicansDominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
Convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
of St. Giles in the Old Town of Prague. The statue portrays the Madonna giving the Rosary to St. Dominic on the left, with St. Thomas Aquinas standing to the right.
The Crucifix and Calvary
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
towards the end of the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
. The remnants of this crucifix can be found in the lapidarium
Lapidarium, Prague
Lapidarium is a part of the National Museum in Prague, Czech Republic. In 1995, the Lapidarium was named one of the ten most beautiful museum exhibitions in Europe....
of the National Museum in Prague. This was replaced by another wooden Calvary which, in turn, was replaced with a metal version in 1657. Bought in Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
, this crucifix was originally made in 1629 by H. Hillger based upon a design by W. E. Brohn. In 1666, two lead figures were added, but these were replaced in 1861 by the present sandstone statues by Emanuel Max, portraying the Virgin Mary and John the Evangelist
John the Evangelist
Saint John the Evangelist is the conventional name for the author of the Gospel of John...
.
The golden Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
text on the crucifix was added in 1696. It was placed there as punishment for a Prague Jew, Eliass Backoffen, who had been convicted of debasing the Holy Cross by defecating next to it. The text is derived from the words of the prophet Isaiah
Isaiah
Isaiah ; Greek: ', Ēsaïās ; "Yahu is salvation") was a prophet in the 8th-century BC Kingdom of Judah.Jews and Christians consider the Book of Isaiah a part of their Biblical canon; he is the first listed of the neviim akharonim, the later prophets. Many of the New Testament teachings of Jesus...
and reads, in English, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts. These words, which are the origin of the Sanctus in the Mass, are an important confession of faith in the Jewish tradition as well; their placement in this context has been perceived by some as offensive. A bronze tablet with explanatory text in Czech, English and Hebrew was mounted under the statue by the City of Prague in 2000. The tablet's placement came after an American Rabbi, Ronald Brown of Temple Beth Am in Merrick, New York was passing over the bridge and noted the possibly offensive nature of the placing of the text. Upon a direct request to the mayor, the tablet was soon placed in front of the statue.
Statue of St. AnneSaint AnneSaint Hanna of David's house and line, was the mother of the Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus Christ according to Christian and Islamic tradition. English Anne is derived from Greek rendering of her Hebrew name Hannah...
(socha sv. Anny) Designed by Matěj Václav Jäckel in 1707, at the expense of count Rudolf of Lisov, the hetman of the New Town of Prague, this statue represents St. Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary, who is portrayed here as a young girl.Statue of St. CyrilSaints Cyril and MethodiusSaints Cyril and Methodius were two Byzantine Greek brothers born in Thessaloniki in the 9th century. They became missionaries of Christianity among the Slavic peoples of Bulgaria, Great Moravia and Pannonia. Through their work they influenced the cultural development of all Slavs, for which they...
and St. Methodius
(sousoší sv. Cyrila a Metoděje) This statue was sculpted by Karel Dvořák between 1928 and 1939 and was erected by the Ministry of education. It portrays the saints (missionariesMissionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
who introduced Christianity to the Slavs
Slavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
The original statue of St. Ignatius which stood here, designed by Ferdinand Brokoff in 1711, was displaced by the floods of 1890 and can now be found in the Prague lapidarium
Lapidarium, Prague
Lapidarium is a part of the National Museum in Prague, Czech Republic. In 1995, the Lapidarium was named one of the ten most beautiful museum exhibitions in Europe....
.
Statue of St. John the BaptistJohn the BaptistJohn the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
(socha sv. Jana Křtitele) Sculpted by Josef Max in 1857, at the expenses of Jan Norbert Gemrich of Neuberk, this statue depicts a standing St. John. This replaces a statue by Jan Brokoff, portraying the Baptism of Jesus by St. John, which stood in this position between 1706 and 1848.Statue of Saints Norbert of XantenNorbert of XantenSaint Norbert of Xanten was a Christian saint and founder of the Norbertine or Premonstratensian order of canons regular.- Life and work :...
, Wenceslas and SigismundSigismund of BurgundySigismund was king of the Burgundians from 516 to his death. He was the son of king Gundobad, whom he succeeded in 516. Sigismund and his brother Godomar were defeated in battle by Clovis' sons and Godomar fled. Sigismund was taken by Chlodomer, King of Orléans, where he was kept as a prisoner. He...
(sousoší sv. Norberta, Václava a Zikmunda) This statue was designed by Josef Max in 1853, under the patronage of the abbot of Strahov Monastery, Dr. Jeroným Zeidler.Statue of St. John of NepomukJohn of NepomukJohn of Nepomuk is a national saint of the Czech Republic, who was drowned in the Vltava river at the behest of Wenceslaus, King of the Romans and King of Bohemia. Later accounts state that he was the confessor of the queen of Bohemia and refused to divulge the secrets of the confessional...
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
. The saint is presented in a traditional way, as a bearded capitulary with a five-star glory, standing on a tripartite base. The base portrays scenes from the life of St. John of Nepomuk, including the confession of Queen Johanna and the saint's death. In 1393 St. John of Nepomuk was thrown from the bridge into the river where he drowned. In modern times it has become traditional to touch the bridge here; this is held to bring good fortune and to ensure that the visitor will return to the city of Prague.
Statue of St. Anthony of PaduaAnthony of PaduaAnthony of Padua or Anthony of Lisbon, O.F.M., was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order. Though he died in Padua, Italy, he was born to a wealthy family in Lisbon, Portugal, which is where he was raised...
(socha sv. Antonína Paduánského) Designed by Jan Oldřich Mayer in 1707 and sponsored by Krištof Mořice Withauer, councilor of the Prague CastlePrague Castle
Prague Castle is a castle in Prague where the Kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman Emperors and presidents of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic have had their offices. The Czech Crown Jewels are kept here...
burgraviate
Graf
Graf is a historical German noble title equal in rank to a count or a British earl...
, this statue represents St. Anthony standing between two vases, holding Jesus.
Statue of St. Jude ThaddeusSaint JudeJude was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He is generally identified with Thaddeus, and is also variously called Jude of James, Jude Thaddaeus, Judas Thaddaeus or Lebbaeus...
(socha sv. Juda Tadeáše) This sculpture portrays St. Jude holding a rod. It was sculpted by Jan Oldřich Mayer in 1708 and paid for by František Sezima, the knight Mitrovský from Nemyšle and Jeřichovice.Statue of St. AugustineAugustine of HippoAugustine of Hippo , also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius . He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province...
(socha sv. Augustina) Designed by Jan Bedřich Kohl in 1708 and paid for by the Augustinian convent of St. Thomas in Prague, this portrays the philosopher holding a book and a burning heart. He is followed by an angel attempting to pour the sea out of a sea-shell.Statue of St. CajetanSaint CajetanSaint Cajetan , born Gaetano dei Conti di Tiene , is a Catholic Church saint and founder of the order of the Clerics Regular, better known as the Theatines...
(socha sv. Kajetána) This statue was sculpted by Ferdinand Brokoff in 1709, and sponsored by the convent of Theatins in Prague. The Saint, founder of the religious order of Theatins, is portrayed holding a book and standing before an obelisk representing the Trinity.Statue of St. Philip Benitius
(socha sv. Filipa Benicia) Designed by Michal Bernard Mandl in 1714, this statue was made from SalzburgSalzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
marble and donated by the Servites convent in Prague. The statue portrays St. Philip Benitius, fifth general of the Servites, holding a cross, a book and a spray. By his legs there is the crown of the Pope. A clay model of this statue can be found in the Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
museum.
Statuary of St. VitusVitusSaint Vitus was a Christian saint from Sicily. He died as a martyr during the persecution of Christians by co-ruling Roman Emperors Diocletian and Maximian in 303. Vitus is counted as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers of the Roman Catholic Church....
(socha sv. Víta) Sculpted by Ferdinand Brokoff in 1714, this statue was donated by Matěj Vojtěch Macht of Löwenmacht, the dean of the VyšehradVyšehrad
Vyšehrad is a castle located in the city of Prague, Czech Republic. It was probably built in the 10th century, on a hill over the Vltava River...
canonry. St. Vitus is portrayed standing on a base in the shape of cave, from which lions crawl up. The Saint is depicted as a Roman
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
aristocrat, martyred for his faith. Duke Wenceslas acquired a number of his relics to honor the founding of St. Vitus Cathedral
St. Vitus Cathedral
Saint Vitus' Cathedral is as a Roman Catholic cathedral in Prague, and the seat of the Archbishop of Prague. The full name of the cathedral is St. Vitus, St. Wenceslas and St. Adalbert Cathedral...
at Prague Castle. These relics, together with others acquired by Charles IV
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles IV , born Wenceslaus , was the second king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and the first king of Bohemia to also become Holy Roman Emperor....
in 1355, are embedded in the cathedral building.
Statue of the Holy Savior with Cosmas and DamianSaints Cosmas and DamianSaints Cosmas and Damian were twin brothers, physicians, and early Christian martyrs born in Cilicia, part of today's Turkey. They practiced their profession in the seaport of Ayas, Adana, then in the Roman province of Syria...
(sousoší sv. Salvatora se sv. Kosmou a Damiánem) Designed by Jan Oldřich Mayer in 1709, at the expense of the faculty of medicine, University of Prague, this statue portrays Jesus with the patron saints of medicine placed on either side.External links
- Pictures of all statues (and information in Czech)
- Pictures of all statues (and information in English)