Our tour of the Old Town started with the Charles Bridge. There are 30 sculptures of saints and other important people. The two most visited are St. Wenceslaus, the Duke of Bohemia and patron of the city, and St. John of Nepomuk. If you touch his statue it is supposed to bring you good luck. Their pictures are in the previous post.
At the Old town end of the bridge is San Salvator Church, a city landmark in Prague. It marks the entrance to Old Town. It is one of the most valuable examples of early Baroque architecture in Prague. It has two magnificent organs played at Mass and at various Concerts. Steve had told us about the Organ and encouraged us to try to hear it, but there were no rehearsals or concerts while we were there. Beyond the church is the Old Town Square, one of Europe’s most beautiful. It is surrounded with exquisite historical buildings, the most eye-catching of which are Old Town City Hall and Týn Cathedral.
The Old Town Square is a historic 12th century marketplace in home to the Astronomical Clock. Installed in 1410; mechanical figures of the apostles perform every hour from 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM. The clock chimes and the four figures flanking the clock are set into motion. A window above the clock opens and the mechanical Walk of the Apostles begins. As a nice touch, after the clock’s performance a trumpet player heralds in the beginning of the next hour. It is quite amazing. The Old Town City Hall is one of Prague’s most iconic historical monuments. Founded in 1338 as the seat of the Old Town administration, it sits right in the heart of Old Town Square. The Tyn cathedral can be seen from all over Prague, standing watch over Old Town Square.
If you look closely at the Gothic steeples of Týn Cathedral, you will see that one is ever so slightly taller than the other. They are also not symmetrical, representing the masculine and feminine elements of the world. It dates from the 14th century. The name comes from its location: “before” means”in front of” and “tyn” meaning fence. Hence, Our Lade in front of the Fence.
A short walk from the square is the Basilica of St. James the Greater. Originally founded as a Gothic shrine in 1232, it was spectacularly rebuilt in the High Baroque style after a devastating fire in 1689. It stands as the third-longest church building in Prague. : Hanging from a meat hook just inside the entrance is a real, withered black arm. Legend says a thief tried to steal jewels from the statue of the Virgin Mary; the statue grabbed his arm so tightly it had to be amputated. It also houses Prague’s largest pipe organ, dating from 1705, and it has 23 ornate altars featuring stunning frescoes and paintings by Baroque master Peter Brandl.
We encountered the Day and Night statues by famous Czech sculptor Jan Sturza. As we continued to stroll, we came to the Jewish Quarter, known as Josefov, a historic neighborhood nestled between Old Town Square and the Vltava River. The Old -New Synagogue is Europe’s oldest active synagogue, built in the 13th century in the Gothic style. The structure survived historic pogroms, Nazi occupation, and devastating fires, historically attributed, by legend, to the protective wings of angels. Close by is the Maisel Synagogue, built in 1590. It is now a Jewish Museum.
On our way back to the Charles Bridge, we passed the Bedřich Smetana Museum. It features decorative sgraffito artwork on its facade. The Municipal House with its Art Nouveau Architecture and the Franz Kafka Museum were there too. The museum seems intentionally dark and symbolic evoking a literal “Kafkaesque” feeling.
As we appoached the Charles Bridge, we encountered the Old Town Bridge Tower which serves and an historic entrance to the bridge. Built in 1357, it is a wonderful example of Gothic Architecture. You can see detailed sculptures in it as you look at the tower.
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