_Walks in Prague_
Almost all the best hotels of Prague are situated near the State Railway
Station, in the Hybernská Ulice and the adjoining angle of the Graben.
This will therefore be the usual starting-place for those who have
sufficient time to walk leisurely through the streets of Prague. As the
former divisions of the town have great historical importance, I shall
refer separately--firstly to the old town, then to the new town and
Vysehrad, lastly to the Malá Strana and Hradcany. For the last-named
walk the traveller will start from the bridge. Immediately opposite the
Hybernská Ulice is the powder tower. The original building on this spot,
as already mentioned, formed part of the ancient fortifications of the
old town, which King Wenceslas I. erected in the thirteenth century. The
present building was built in 1475 by King Vladislav II. It is in what
is known in Bohemia as the Vladislav style, and is the work of Matthew
Reysek, one of the originators of that style of architecture. The
building was used as a powder magazine during the reign of Leopold I.,
and then acquired the designation that it still bears. The powder tower
was skilfully restored in 1883 by the talented architect Joseph Mocker.
Walking down the Celetná Ulice we pass on our right the spot where a
Royal residence, known as the King's Court, Kraluv Dvur, which was
inhabited by several Bohemian Kings, once stood. We soon reach the
market-place of the old town. Both the Celetná Ulice and the
market-place contain many ancient houses--the family residences of
citizens of the old town--that well deserve notice. The recent
demolitions have not as yet much changed the character of the
market-place, while the Celetná Ulice is happily, as yet, untouched. The
market-place, the forum of Prague, plays a great part in the story of
the town. During the days of independence the burghers assembled here,
and the meetings were often very stormy, particularly when the citizens
were displeased with the decisions of the town council that met at the
radnice. It was on the market-place too that the memorable executions on
June 21, 1621, took place. In the centre of the market-place a statue of
the Madonna, erected by Ferdinand III., commemorates the successful
repulse of the Swedish attack on Prague in 1648.
The Tyn Church and the Kinsky Palace, which have already been mentioned,
are also situated in the market-place. But we must now visit the town
hall (radnice) that has so often been referred to in these pages. The
very curious ancient clock will attract the attention of the visitor. It
was constructed in 1490 by Magister Hanus. Besides the hours, it
indicates the time of the rising and setting of the moon and sun. Above
the clock is a small window, at which figures, representing Christ and
the Apostles, appear whenever the clock strikes a new hour. There are
almost always spectators in the market-place opposite the clock-tower,
who await the appearance of these figures. The town hall has been built
and rebuilt at various periods. It is certain that a building in which
the councillors of the old town met was erected on the ground where the
present town hall stands in 1338, but the building has been frequently
enlarged by the purchase of adjoining houses. The oldest existent
portions of the building
[Illustration: THE POWDER TOWER]
[Illustration: DOOR OF OLD SYNAGOGUE]
are the tower and the Chapel of St. Lawrence, which date from the year
1381. To the left of the tower is the main entrance to the town hall,
and on the first floor we enter the ancient council chamber, which
adjoins the Chapel of St. Lawrence. It was built during the reign of
Vladislav II., and contains a ceiling with very fine carvings. The walls
are adorned with carvings that represent the armorial bearings of the
Prague guilds. One of the halls that the traveller should also visit is
that of the primator or burgomaster. It contains portraits of all the
burgomasters of the old town--afterwards of the whole community of
Prague--since the sixteenth century. Recently a modern large council
chamber has been erected. It contains two paintings by Brozik
representing Hus before the Council of Constance, and the election of
George of Podebrad as King, an event which took place within this
building. The town hall has, however, been so much changed since that
period that it is not exactly known in what part of the building this
momentous event occurred. Of historical interest are the dungeons of
the town hall, which have remained exactly as they were when the
Bohemian patriots were confined here in 1621 on the eve of their
decapitation. Immediately behind the town hall is the Renaissance Church
of St. Nicholas,[50] which, by permission of the city, is now used for
the services of the Russian community.
Turning to the right we reach the Joseph Street, which marks the
boundary of the Jewish town, now called Joseph's town, the ancient
ghetto of Prague, that still preserves its mediæval character. Entering
the Rabbi Street, we see at our left the Jewish town hall, perhaps one
of the most picturesque buildings in Prague. Immediately opposite is the
far-famed old synagogue, built in the early Gothic style about the
beginning of the thirteenth century. Over the vaulting is a large flag
given to the Jews by the Emperor Ferdinand III. for their bravery during
the siege of 1648. It was 'the highest honour that could then be
conferred on a Jew,' as the guide rather pathetically states. Adjoining
the synagogue is the Jewish cemetery, one of the best-known spots in
Prague. It is very extensive, and contains countless monuments, on many
of which we see the emblems of the tribes of Israel, and the quaint
devices--such as a hare, stag or fish--which with the Jews did duty as
_armes parlantes_. The somewhat gloomy outlook is enlivened in spring by
the gleam of the numerous elder trees that have been planted here.
Immediately outside the precincts of the Jewish town, on the banks of
the Vltava, stands the Rudolphinum, a modern institution named after the
late Crown Prince. It contains a concert room and a small picture
gallery, which is worthy of notice as containing paintings by
little-known Bohemian artists. Perhaps one of the most interesting
pictures is a holy family by Master Detrich of Prague, a votive offering
of Archbishop Ocko of Vlasim, who is represented as kneeling before his
patron saint. In one of the rooms is an interesting collection of
engravings by Wenceslas Hollar, a native of Prague, who principally
worked in England. Turning to the left, and following the course of the
Vltava, we reach the famed Charles Bridge (Karluv Most). At the eastern
end is the monument of King Charles, erected in 1848 in commemoration of
the 500th anniversary of the foundation of the University by that
Sovereign. Quite close to the bridge--which I shall mention later--is
the vast agglomeration of buildings known as the Clementinum, a Jesuit
college founded in 1556 by Ferdinand I. The building was constantly
enlarged up to 1715, and became one of the most important centres of the
Jesuit order. The former Utraquist University of the Carolinum was in
1654 joined to the Jesuit college. The building is still used for the
lectures of the philosophic faculty of the University, the valuable
library of which is also housed here. It contains over 170,000 printed
works, and many interesting MSS. of the period of the Hussite War. Of
special interest is the 'Malostransky Kancional' (liturgy), dating from
1572. It contains on the page dealing with the martyrdom of Hus (July 6)
three miniatures, in which we see superposed Wycliffe striking the fire,
Hus lighting the coals, and Luther holding the already flaming torch.
The Clementinum also contains two churches, an observatory, the
archbishop's printing office, and a seminary.
In one of the courtyards we see a statue (by J. Max) representing a
student. It was erected in 1848 in commemoration of the second centenary
of the siege of Prague. The students, then all Catholics, greatly
distinguished themselves in the defence of the bridge against the
Swedes.
Continuing to follow the Vltava, we soon reach the equestrian statue of
the Emperor Francis I., which stands in the middle of a small garden.
Near here, in the Karolina Svetla Street, is the interesting Romanesque
Chapel of the Holy Cross, one of the three earliest ecclesiastical
edifices of Prague. It is one of the three Romanesque chapels which
still exist at Prague. Its date can only be conjectured, as though it is
first mentioned in the fourteenth century as a parish church, it is
undoubtedly of much greater antiquity. In the seventeenth century it
ceased to be an ecclesiastical building, and might have continued
unknown if the 'Umelecká Beseda' (artistic society) had not acquired the
building and (1863-1865) caused it to be very skilfully restored. It was
re-consecrated by Archbishop Prince Schwarzenberg in 1879.
Continuing from the Karolina Svetla Street to the Bethlehem Street we
soon reach the square of the same name. It is on this spot, for ever
connected with the memory of Hus, that it is proposed to erect a
monument to the great Church-reformer. Here once stood the Bethlehem
Chapel, the cradle of Church reform, and the modest dwelling of Hus. A
tablet on the door still reminds the traveller of the spot. On the
Bethlehem Square also is the very ancient house known as 'U Halanku,' a
fine specimen of the ancient civic architecture of Prague. It belonged
for a considerable time to the family of Krocin Z Drahobejlu, whose arms
can still be seen in the courtyard. Wenceslas Krocin was for some time
'primator' (_i.e._, burgomaster) of the old town of Prague. This house
now contains an Industrial Museum, with reading-rooms erected by the
late Mr. Naprstek. Mr. Naprstek resided for a considerable time in
America,
[Illustration: JEWISH TOWN HALL AND OLD SYNAGOGUE]
and his library--access to which is liberally granted to visitors--is
very rich in English books. Mrs. Naprstek still resides here, and is
well-known for her charity, patriotism and kindness to foreign visitors
to Prague. Returning to the quay, on the border of the river, we soon
reach the Ferdinand Street, and see at its left angle the Bohemian
National Theatre, an important memorial of the national revival. The
building was begun in 1868 and completed in 1881. Almost immediately
afterwards it was greatly injured by a fire that broke out, and it was
only in 1883 that it was opened amidst great rejoicings of the Bohemian
people. Travellers in Prague are strongly recommended to pay a visit,
even if but a short one, to this fine building, particularly should a
translation of an English play be given. I have seen the _School for
Scandal_ admirably given in Bohemian at the National Theatre.
Immediately opposite is the new Francis Bridge, opened by the Emperor in
the present year (1901). It connects one of the islands of the Vltava,
and its left bank with the old and new towns. Near here too is the
'Sophia's Island.' It contains a park and restaurant where concerts are
frequently given. It is historically interesting as having been the
meeting-place of the Slavic Congress of 1848 that ended so disastrously.
The Ferdinand Street with its continuations, the Ovocná Ulice (Fruit
Street), and the Prikopy or Graben constitute the main thoroughfare of
the modern town of Prague. At the angle of the Ferdinand Street and the
Ovocná Ulice--in the Jungmann Square--stands the monument of Joseph
Jungmann, one of the great leaders of the national movement, who lived
in the Jungmann Street close by. Continuing on the left side of the
Prikopy, we reach the Havirska Ulice (Miners Street). Turning to the
left here, and passing the German Theatre, we arrive in a few minutes
at the Carolinum, which bears the name of Charles IV., the founder of
the University of Prague. Though the building has been modernised, and
only the Chapel of SS. Cosmas and Damianus and the Gothic projection
retain the ancient character, it is one of the most historically
interesting buildings at Prague, as--next to Bethlehem Chapel--it is the
one most intimately connected with the career of Hus. It was here that
he and his friends defended the teaching of Wycliffe (July 1410), and
here, too, that the great _disputatio_ took place (June 1412), in which
he eloquently denounced the abuse of indulgences. In later days, too,
the Carolinum was a stronghold of Utraquism. Many of the stormy meetings
of the Bohemian nobles that preceded the defenestration of 1618 were
held here. The place, indeed, became so noted as a meeting-place of
heretics, that after the Battle of the White Mountain some Catholic
generals suggested that it should be destroyed. The Carolinum now
contains the lecture rooms of the juridical and medical faculties of
both the Bohemian and the German Universities of Prague. From the
Carolinum we can either take the Zelezna Ulice (Iron Street), which
leads us back to the town hall, or through the Ovocni Trh (fruit
market), reach the Celetná Ulice, or return to the Graben, at the end of
which we reach the powder tower.
The new town and the Vysehrad are not equal in interest to the old town
and its sub-division, the Jewish quarter, yet here, too, there are more
objects of interest than limited space will allow me to mention.
Starting again from the powder tower, we arrive, through the Josefské
Námesti, at the angle of the Poric Street, the site of one of the oldest
settlements of Prague. Walking through this street to its end we
find--opposite the North-Western Railway Station--the new civic museum
that is far too little known to visitors. This building is quite a
modern creation, and in its present state has only been opened to the
public since 1898.
The first hall on the ground floor contains prehistoric remains,
numerous objects in glass and majolica that belonged to old Prague. The
second hall contains works in metal; particularly interesting are the
Gothic doors of a house in the Václavské Námesti, with the arms of the
old and the new towns. The third hall, devoted to ecclesiastical art,
contains many objects of great interest from various churches; a Gothic
predella, and a Gothic altar from the Castle Rabi deserve particular
notice. In this hall also are many valuable memorials of Hus; in all
these portraits, as, indeed, in all very ancient ones, he is represented
as beardless. Hall four contains many memorials of old Prague. On the
second floor we find in halls five and six a large collection of
engravings that are of immense value to the student of history. Besides
a large number of views of Prague at different periods, there is a
valuable collection referring to the Thirty Years' War. We see
representations of the defenestration, the entry of Frederick of the
Palatinate into Prague, the Battle of the White Mountain, and the
executions on the market-place, as well as an almost complete collection
of the portraits of the generals and statesmen of the Thirty Years' War.
Also on the second floor is the armoury, which well deserves the
attention of the visitor. In hall nine on this floor are flags, shields
and coats of arms that belonged to the ancient guilds of Prague. An
underground part of the museum contains the mucirna or torture-chamber,
which gives a vivid impression of the ways of mediæval justice. The
Gothic vaulting of this chamber is mediæval, and was transported here
from a house on the market-place of the old town.
We are here at the extreme limit of the new town. Eastward lie the
modern suburbs Karlin (or Karolmenthal) and Zizkov. The former contains
a fine Romanesque cathedral, built between 1854 and 1863, which is
dedicated to St. Cyrillus and St. Methodius, the apostles of the Slavs.
Zizkov, which stands on the spot where Zizka won his famous victory, was
entirely built in the nineteenth century. It has increased very rapidly,
and with its population of 50,000 inhabitants is now, next to Prague,
the most populous town in Bohemia.
Returning to the Poric, and then turning to the left, the traveller
passes the State Railway Station, and after crossing the Hybernská Ulice
and pursuing his way through the Senovazná Ulice (Hay-Balance Street),
finds himself at the Church of St. Henry, at the corner of the street of
that name, and of the Jerusalemská Ulice.
A parish church has existed here since very early times, but a new
building in the Gothic style was erected here in 1348 by Charles IV.
Since that day the church has again been rebuilt several times, so that
it does not retain much of its ancient character. It contains pictures
by Skreta, the Bohemian painter, and others. Close to the church is the
Gothic campanile, which dates from the beginning of the reign of
Vladislav II.
Following the Jerusalemská Ulice, we reach the extensive town park,
which is built on the site of the old fortifications of the Nové Mesto,
and divides it from the suburb of Vinohrady (vineyards). At its eastern
extremity is the Bohemian Museum that has already been mentioned. From
here the wide Václavské Námesti leads to the Graben. Turning from the
Václavské Námesti to the left by the Stephens Street we reach the church
of that name, which was built by Charles IV., but has, like so many
others at Prague, been greatly altered by restoration. It contains,
however, some works of very ancient Bohemian painters that are very
worthy of notice. Close to St. Stephen's Church is the very ancient
Romanesque Chapel of St. Longinus. Similar to the Chapel of the Holy
Cross and that of St. Martin on the Vysehrad--which will be mentioned
presently--it is, as Monsignor Lehner writes, 'smaller and plainer and,
therefore, probably even more ancient than the sister chapels.'
Retracing our steps as far as the angle of the Zitná Ulice, and
proceeding down that street, we soon reach the extensive Karlovo
Námesti, which has been laid out as a park, in which a monument to the
Bohemian poet Halek has been erected. Opposite this monument, at the
north-eastern extremity of this square, is a building, now the site of
the law courts, which was once the town hall of the Nové Mesto. From the
windows of this building the town councillors were thrown in 1419, an
event to which reference has been already made.
This town hall, built under Charles IV., and a subsequent building in
the Renaissance style that was afterwards erected here have long
disappeared. The last-named building was demolished in 1806 by order of
the Emperor Francis I., and the present uninteresting structure was
erected. Of the old building a tower, formerly, probably, a campanile
similar to that of the town hall of the old town, remains. It contains a
chapel dedicated to St. Wenceslas, which is still in the same condition
as it was in the fifteenth century.
From the Karlovo Námesti, following the Vysehrad
[Illustration: CHAPEL OF ST. MARTIN]
Street, and passing near the Emaus Monastery, that has already been
mentioned, we arrive at the Vysehrad. The Vysehrad, formerly an
independent community, but now one of the districts of Prague, has at
the present day little interest for the mere sightseer. But its mythical
and historical associations render it very precious to those who have
some knowledge of Bohemia's past. The traditions connected with the spot
have been the subject of many Bohemian poems. Recently Zeyer published
his _Vysehrad_, which will interest those who wish to penetrate somewhat
deeper into the past of Prague.[51] Of the old semi-mythical residence
of Libussa no trace remains, and the mediæval citadel that played so
important a part in the Hussite Wars has also disappeared. The existent
fortifications are of modern date. Of the many former churches on the
Vysehrad two only now require notice. One is the Romanesque Chapel of
St. Martin, said to have been founded by St. Adalbert on the site of a
Pagan temple. It is one of the three round chapels that are the oldest
religious edifices in Prague. It is, as Monsignor Lehner writes, 'the
only remaining relic of the splendour of the Vysehrad during the period
of Romanesque architecture.'
Another interesting church is that of St. Peter and St. Paul, built
originally as a Romanesque basilica, but altered considerably after the
Hussite Wars. An interesting legend connected with the church is, or
rather was, related to the visitors of St. Peter's Church. Mr. Kohl, who
visited Prague in 1841, writes:[52] 'A memorable tale was told me by my
conductress. "Once upon a time a poor man went into the forest. There he
met a smart, jovial-looking huntsman, at least so he supposed, but in
truth it was no huntsman, but the devil in disguise. Now the huntsman
spoke to the sorrowful man and said, 'Art poor, old boy?' 'Ay, miserably
poor, sir, and full of care,' replied the other. 'How many children hast
thou?' 'Six, noble sir,' answered the poor man. 'Give me for ever that
child of thine that thou hast never seen and I'll give thee thy fill of
money.' 'Willingly, sir,' was the silly father's reply. 'Then come, and
we'll sign and seal the bargain.' The old man did so, and received
countless heaps of money. When he got home, however, to his own house,
to his surprise he found that he had seven children, for his wife had in
the meantime brought the seventh into the world. Thereupon the father
began to feel very uncomfortable, and to suspect that the devil had
talked him out of his child. In his anxiety he called his new-born son
Peter, and dedicated him to the Apostle, praying St. Peter to take the
boy under his protection and shield him against the devil's arts.
Peter, who appeared to the old man in a dream, promised to do what he
was asked provided the boy was brought up to the Church; so, of course,
the lad was given to God's service, that he might be a priest when he
grew up. Peter turned out a good, pious and learned young man. When he
was twenty-four years old and had been installed as a priest at the
Church of the Vysehrad, the devil came one day to put in his claim to
his reverence, but the holy Apostle St. Peter interfered and declared
that the deed which the devil produced was a forgery. The devil and the
saint came to high words at this, while the poor priest, frightened out
of his wits, ran into the church and betook himself to reading Mass.
Now, as they could in no way come to an understanding, St. Peter, by way
of a compromise, proposed a new bargain. 'Do you fly to Rome!' said he
to the devil, 'and bring me one of the columns of St. Peter's Church,
and if you're back with it before my priest has read to the end of the
Mass, he shall be yours; but else mine.' The devil, who thought he
should have plenty of time, accepted the proposal with pleasure, and in
a few seconds Peter saw him flying up full speed with one of the
columns. The devil would have won, there's no doubt, if St. Peter had
not quickly gone to meet him and begun to belabour him with a horsewhip.
The devil in his fright dropped the huge pillar, which fell plump to the
bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. He lost but little time in diving for
it and bringing it up again; but he lost quite enough, for when he
arrived at the church the priest had just said his 'Ite missa est,' and
so his Mass was at an end. St. Peter laughed heartily; and the devil was
so vexed that in his rage he flung down the big column, which went
through the roof of the church and fell upon the floor, where it was
broken into three pieces. Many attempts were made to repair the hole in
the roof, but they could never make the work hold, for it always fell
in, and so at last they gave it up; and there the hole remained for many
hundred years, leaving a free way for rain and wind. The Emperor Joseph,
however, insisted upon having the roof repaired, so they carved the two
keys of St. Peter in the centre stone of the vault, and since then the
work has held." Besides some paintings by Skreta, it contains a curious
Madonna of the thirteenth century, said to have been once the property
of Charles IV. The church is surrounded by a cemetery, in which many of
Bohemia's patriots are buried. We find here the tombs of the writers
Halek, Neruda, Benes Trebizky, Hanka, Mrs. Nemcova, those of the
Ministers Iirecek and Kaizl, and many others. Quite recently a fine
monument has been placed over the grave of Zeyer, the poet of the
Vysehrad. When leaving the Vysehrad the traveller can either descend to
the banks of the Vltava, follow the Podskal Street, and then the Palacky
Quay--from which a bridge, also named after the great historian, leads
to the suburb of Smichov--and finally reach the Bohemian theatre; or
passing through the 'Na Slupi' Street he may, turning to the right into
the Horská Ulice, reach the Karlov Church, which is at the corner of the
Horská and Karlova Streets. This very fine Gothic edifice, one of the
most interesting churches in Prague, was built by Charles IV. in 1350,
and its octagon dome is said to be an imitation of the burial place of
Charles the Great at Aachen. The church has some very fine stained-glass
windows, which date from the time of Vladislav II., and some good
pictures.
The Karlov or Church of the Ascension of the Virgin Mary--to give it its
correct designation--has, however, like so many others, suffered
severely from the restorer. Following the Karlova Ulice, and then
turning to the left, at the corner of the St. Apolinar Street, we reach
the interesting Gothic church of that name. From here we retrace our
steps to the Na Slupi and then the Vysehrad Street, and soon arrive
again at the Karlovo Námesti. Thence we soon reach through the Jungmann
Street the Jungmann monument, in the Ovocná Ulice, and the limits of the
new town.
[Illustration: KARLOV]
For his wanderings through the parts of Prague that are on the left bank
of the river the traveller will start from the far-famed Bridge of
Prague, for so it is still called, though its official designation is
the Charles Bridge, and there are now many other bridges at Prague.
As already mentioned, there has been a bridge on or near the spot where
the present edifice stands from very early times. Ancient chroniclers
write that when, in 932, the body of St. Wenceslas was conveyed from
Stará Boleslav, where he was murdered, to St. Vitus's Church at Prague,
those who carried the body, 'hurrying to the river Vltava, found the
bridge partly destroyed by the floods. They gave themselves up to
prayer, and having raised the body on their arms they passed, as if they
were carrying no burden, gladly and without hindrance over the
half-ruined bridge.' The fact that the body of St. Wenceslas was
conveyed across the Vltava on March 4, at a time when the spring flood
often damaged the Bridge of Prague, confirms, as Mr. Svátek writes, the
correctness of this narrative, which contains the earliest mention of
the Bridge of Prague. The account of the state in which the bridge was
found also renders Mr. Svátek's conjecture that it was then already very
ancient very plausible. As the suburbium Praguese--as I have already
mentioned--extended on both banks of the river, wooden bridges, such as
the earliest ones undoubtedly were, soon became insufficient. When, in
1157, the floods had entirely destroyed the wooden Bridge of Prague,
Queen Judith, consort of King Vladislav I., caused a new stone bridge to
be erected at her own expense. It was said that she undertook this work
because, being a German by birth, and having twice used her influence to
place her German relations on the episcopal throne of Prague, she had
incurred the hostility of the Bohemians. She hoped to regain the love of
the Praguers by thus becoming a
[Illustration: FROM THE BRIDGE LOOKING TOWARDS THE OLD TOWN]
benefactress of their city. Judith's Bridge was begun in 1169 and
finished in three years, an almost inconceivably short space of time.
The completion of the bridge was greeted with great rejoicement by the
Bohemians, who said that, excepting the bridge over the Danube at
Regensburg, no such bridge had been built since the days of the Romans.
In the winter of 1342 the Bridge of Judith was destroyed by the floods,
and for a time a temporary wooden bridge, partly founded on the
remaining pillars of the stone bridge, alone connected the two parts of
Prague. This bridge naturally proved insufficient, particularly after
Charles IV. had founded the new town of Prague. In 1357 that King
undertook the building of the present bridge. The building was erected
under the direction of Matthew of Arras, and afterwards of Peter Parler
and his son John. The work was often interrupted by storms and
inundations, to which the Vltava, the outlet of all the rivers of
Central and Southern Bohemia, is particularly liable. It was, therefore,
only completed in 1503.
We first pass under the bridge tower of the old town, which is decorated
with statues of the Bohemian patron saints and with the coats of arms of
the countries that were formerly connected with Bohemia as well as that
of the old town itself.
The statues that now ornament the bridge formed no part of the original
structure. As can be seen in ancient engravings, a crucifix only stood
on the bridge at first. Rudolph erected statues of the Madonna and of
St. John, and the others were gradually added, principally during the
period of Catholic re-action in the seventeenth and eighteenth
centuries. There are now thirty statues of unequal value, fifteen on
each side of the bridge. It may be of interest to give a list of these
statues, beginning with those that are to the right of the visitor who
crosses the bridge from the old town into the Malá Strana:--
1. St. Bernard (1709), by Jäckel.
2. St. Dominicus and Thomas Aquinas (1708), by Jäckel.
3. A bronze-gilt statue of the Crucifixion, with statues of the Virgin
Mary and St. John.
4. St. John the Baptist (1853), by J. Max.
5. St. Ignacius of Loyola (1711), by Ferdinand Prokov; a foundation of
the Jesuit College of Prague.
6. The Holy Trinity (1706), also by Prokov. Between this group and the
next one, a cross and tablet mark the spot where St. Nepomuk was thrown
into the river.
7. SS. Norbert, Wenceslas and Sigismund (1853), by J. Max.
8. St. John of Nepomuk, cast in bronze at Nüremberg in 1683, after a
model of J. Prokov.
9. St. Anthony of Padua (1707), by Ulrich Mayer.
10. St. Judas Taddæus (1708), also by Ulrich Mayer.
11. St Augustine (1708), by Jerome Kohl.
12. St. Gactanus (1709), by Ferdinand Prokov.
13. St. Philip Binitius (1711), by Mendel of Salzburg.
14. St. Vitus (1714), by Ferdinand Prokov.
15. SS. Cosmas and Damianus (1707), by Ulrich Mayer.
On the left side of the bridge are the following statues:--
16. St. Ivo (1711), by Matthew Braun.
17. SS. Barbara, Margaret and Elizabeth (1702), by the brothers Prokov.
18. The Mater Dolorosa (1859), by Em. Max.
19. St. Joseph (1854), by Jos. Max; a gift of the Countess Prîchovská.
20. St. Francis Haverius (1711), by Ferdinand Prokov; a gift of the
theological and philosophical 'faculties' of the University of Prague.
21. St. Christopher (1857), by Em. Max.
22. St. Francis Borgia (1710), by the brothers Prokov.
23. St. Ludmilla (1785), by an unknown artist.
24. St. Francis Seraphicus (1855), by Em. Max.
25. SS. Vincent and Prokov (1712), by Ferdinand Prokov.
26. St. Nicholas of Tolentino (1706), by J. Kohl.
[Illustration: VIEW OF THE BRIDGE FROM THE MILLS OF THE OLD TOWN]
27. St. Ludgardis (1710), by M. Braun.
28. St. Adalbert (1710), by the brothers Prokov.
29. SS. John of Matha, Ivo and Philipp (1714), by Ferdinand Prokov.
30. St. Wenceslas (1857), by Camillas Böhn, after a sketch by the
painter Führich.
In 1890 inundations again greatly injured the Bridge of Prague. A
portion of the work was entirely destroyed, and the statues of St.
Ignacius of Loyola and of St. Francis sank in the floods. These injuries
have now been entirely repaired. The view of the Hradcany from the
bridge is one of the most striking ones in Prague.
Passing by the second bridge tower we reach the Malá Strana, near which
once stood the ancient residence of the bishops, and afterwards
archbishops, of Prague, a building often mentioned in the records of the
struggles of the Hussite Wars, or market-place of the 'small quarter,'
on which is a statue of Radecky, erected in 1858. As materials,
Piedmontese cannon captured in 1848 and 1849 were used.
Here also is the Nicholas Church that has already been mentioned, and
near here are the palace of the Governor of Bohemia and the palace where
the Bohemian Diet assembles, since it no longer meets on the Hradcany. A
steep path leads to the summit of the Hradcany Hill. The two most
important buildings on this height, the Royal Palace and St. Vitus's
Cathedral, have already been mentioned. Between these buildings stands
the very fine equestrian statue of St. George, cast in 1373 by order of
Charles IV. This fine statue, a work of the brothers George and Martin
of Clussenburk, is excessively interesting as giving a faithful
representation of the armour worn by the knights of the fourteenth
century.
Behind the cathedral is the Church of St. George, occupying the spot
where one of the earliest Christian churches in Bohemia, built by Prince
Vratislav I. about the year 915, once stood. Princess Mlada, sister of
Boleslav II., in 915 here built a Benedictine convent, of which she
became abbess, and which became very famous in Bohemia. Charles IV.
granted to the abbess of this convent the right of crowning the Queens
of Bohemia. They retained this right up to the suppression of the
convent by the Emperor Joseph II. It was then transferred to the
superior of the Chapter of Noble Ladies, which the Empress Maria Theresa
had founded.
The first Church of St. George was destroyed in 1142, during the
troubles that followed the death of Sobeslav.[53] A Romanesque building
was then erected, which is the finest building in that style of
architecture in Bohemia. Though here also restorations have taken place,
the church has, on the whole, retained its ancient character, and it is
well worth the attention of the traveller. It contains the graves of
several of the most ancient rulers of Bohemia and of their wives. The
ancient frescoes in this church and the chapels of St. Ludmilla--where
that saint and Princess Mlada, the first abbess of St. George's convent,
are buried--and of St. Anne require particular notice. During the recent
restorations the stucco ornaments that concealed the old Romanesque
doors and windows have been removed. Of great interest are the four very
ancient towers on the Hradcany Hill, which date from the time of Ottokar
II. and have already been mentioned. They overlook the Jeleni Prikop
(Stag's Ditch), and are reached by the Jiriska Ulice, passing through
buildings that are used as Government offices. These towers were used as
prisons, and the White Tower in particular, which has been compared to
the Bastille and the Tower of London, was the principal State prison of
Prague. The leaders of the Protestant movement against Ferdinand I.,
Bishop Augusta, the head of the Bohemian brethren, the Bohemian leaders
who were decapitated in 1621, the partisans of Charles of Bavaria
(1743), and many others were imprisoned here.
The Daliborka Tower is very famous in popular legends. It is said to
have received its present name from Dalibor of Kozojed, a knight who was
imprisoned here during the reign of Vladislav II. The serfs of a
neighbouring knight, Adam of Ploskov, had been driven to revolt by the
cruelty of their lord, and Dalibor availed himself of this opportunity
for seizing Ploskov's estates. He was, therefore, imprisoned in the
tower to which he has given his name, and afterwards decapitated. This
somewhat sordid event became the nucleus of legends created by the
imaginative Bohemian people. It was said that Dalibor, after spending
some years in foreign lands, had returned to Bohemia, and there
witnessed the cruelties from which the Bohemian peasants, formerly free
men, suffered; for bondage, entirely alien to the ancient customs of
Bohemia, was only established there in 1487. Under the influence of
Rozvod, an old man who remembered the days of Zizka, Dalibor incited the
peasants to rise against their lords. The revolt was rapidly suppressed,
and Dalibor imprisoned in the tower on the Hradcany Hill. It was said
that while imprisoned he learnt to play the violin to solace his
solitude, and that his music attracted crowds to the tower. The great
Bohemian musician Smetana has given the name of 'Dalibor' to one of his
operas, and Dalibor is also the hero of one of the books of the talented
Bohemian novelist Wenceslas Vlcek. Among the later prisoners in the
Daliborka were several alchemists whom Rudolph II. called to his court,
but who failed to fulfil the promises they had made. The astronomer
Francis Tennagel, an assistant of Tycho Brahe, was also a prisoner in
the Daliborka during Rudolph's reign.
We obtain the best view of the four towers, and indeed of the Hradcany
generally, if we cross the Stag's Ditch and proceed to the Royal
gardens, in which is the Belvedere villa. Ferdinand I. caused it to be
built for his wife Anna. It is a fine specimen of the Italian
Renaissance, Ferdinand's favourite form of architecture, and was built
by the Italian, John de Spatio. In the interior of the building there
are some frescoes of the earlier part of the nineteenth century
representing scenes from Bohemian history. It is characteristic of the
period that the Hussite Wars, the period of Bohemia's greatness, are
entirely excluded. As a proof that the present Emperor of Austria from
his earliest youth possessed the sagacity and clearness of mind which is
now recognised by the whole world, it may be mentioned that when, as a
young Archduke, he visited these frescoes, he is reported to have said:
'It is impossible even to conceive a history of Bohemia from which the
Hussite Wars are excluded.'
Close to the Belvedere is a fountain, which has rightly been called 'one
of the finest Renaissance fountains north of the Alps.' The design is by
Tertio of Bergamo, and the work was carried out by Jarus, an artist of
Prague.
From the Belvedere we descend the Hradcany Hill, and passing through the
Chotek Park reach the Bruska Street and the suspension bridge. Crossing
this bridge, we reach the old town and the Rudolphinum, and soon find
our way back to the powder tower.