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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account