The Charles Bridge (in Czech: Karlův most) is the most famous bridge over the Vltava River (in Czech Vltava) in Prague. The bridge is located in Prague's Prague 1 district and is the pedestrian connection between the Old Town and the Malá Strana district.
In the year 1357, on July 9, at 5:31 am, King Charles IV laid the foundation stone. After all, the previous bridge, the Judith Bridge from the 12th century, had collapsed in 1342 and so there was a great need for a new sturdy bridge. Until 1841, Charles Bridge was the main connection between the Old Town and Prague Castle. Originally the bridge was called the Stone Bridge (in Czech Kamenný most), but in 1870 the name was changed to Charles Bridge.
The bridge has a length of 516 meters and is about 10 meters wide. The construction consists of 16 arches with ice protectors. The story goes that protein was mixed into the mortar used for the bridge to obtain greater strength. The bridge is protected by three towers, one of which is on the side of the Old Town (the east side). This tower is sometimes considered the most beautiful Gothic building in the world.
There are 30 different statues on the bridge. Most of them are in the baroque style and were placed between 1683 and 1714. Among the most famous statues are that of the priest and martyr John of Nepomuk and the statue group of the "cruel Turk". The original sandstone statues became so weathered over time that most of them have now been replaced by replicas. The originals can be seen in the local Lapidarium at the National Museum.
The bridge has been open to pedestrians only since 1978 and is one of the main attractions of the city of Prague.
* = A lapidarium (Latin: lapis = stone) can have two meanings. It can be a physical collection of carved stones, or a book in which stones are described.
Judith Bridge
The Judith Bridge (in Czech: Juditin most) was a bridge over the Vltava in the Czech capital Prague. The bridge was the predecessor of the current Charles Bridge and existed for centuries as the only fixed connection point between the Old Town and the Malá Strana district. In 1342 the bridge was severely damaged by a flood and was never rebuilt.
The Judith Bridge was the second stone bridge in Central Europe, after the one in Regensburg, Germany, which served as a model. The bridge was built on the initiative of Judith of Thüringen, the (second) consort of King Vladislav II of Bohemia, and bore her name. Construction of the Judith Bridge began after 1157, when its wooden predecessor was destroyed, also by high water. The bridge was completed in 1160 or 1172.
The Judith Bridge was 520 meters long and ten meters wide. It was supported by sixteen pillars.
In 1357, lord Charles IV had this bridge replaced by a construction of sandstone to prevent repeated damage, because in 1342 the bridge was heavily damaged by a flood of the Vltava. This new bridge, the Charles Bridge, is located a little further south.
Remains of the bridge are located in the Crosier Monastery (foundations of the tower) and in the river. The Judith Bridge is therefore one of the few Romanesque bridges of which parts have been preserved.
Johannes Nepomuk
Johannes Nepomuk (original name: Welfflin or Wolfflin) was born between 1340 and 1350 in the Czech town of Pomuk. His parents were probably quite wealthy, because Johannes was able to study at the local monastery, later in Prague and even at the university in Padua, Italy. In 1380 he became pastor of St. Gallus Parish in Prague. His life as a modest and deeply religious man attracted the attention of the ecclesiastical dignitaries and he was soon appointed pastor of the Týn Church on Old Town Square in Prague's inner city. Finally, in 1387, he became vicar general of the bishop in Prague. From that moment on he also preached repeatedly in the Domkerk and because of his wise and intelligent sermons people came from far and wide to listen to him.
His performance did not escape the attention of the then King Wenceslaus IV. Wenceslaus was feared at the time because of his tyrannical behavior towards anyone who disagreed with him. To bind Johannes to him, he offered him a position at court. Johannes refused the offer and the associated privileges. According to tradition, John only accepted the office of personal confessor of the queen, Sophia of Bavaria. Since there had been an open conflict between Church and Court since 1384, this decision was not well received. The king immediately wanted revenge. On March 20, 1393, Johannes was arrested during negotiations between Church and Court. That same night he was horribly tortured and thrown into the Vltava from Charles Bridge and drowned. The real reasons for this gruesome act remain vague, but according to popular opinion, Wenceslaus was enraged when John refused to reveal whether or not the queen had confessed that she had a lover.
Afterwards, the bishop of Prague is said to have written a letter about this to Pope Boniface IX: "After his right and left sides had been burned to such an extent that he was in fact already doomed, Dr. Johannes, my dear vicar, was openly paraded through the streets of The city was dragged to the Vltava, with his hands fastened behind his back, he was tied with his head to his feet as if he were a chariot wheel, and a piece of wood was put upright in his mouth, so that it was cruelly torn open. they threw him down and drowned.
Nepomuk's horribly mutilated body is said to have floated to the surface at night, surrounded by five twinkling stars. The flock of people immediately recognized their beloved priest and preacher. They took him out of the water and laid him on the bank. Immediately thousands of people flocked to it and carried his body to the cathedral in mourning. Especially the poor of the city could not part with him who had always been to them like a loving father. King Wenceslaus ordered the corpse to be buried in an unknown place, but there was such an odor of sanctity there that he was soon discovered. Under solemn display, Johannes Nepomuk was then interred in St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague. There he has been venerated by the faithful ever since, and many obtained from him from heaven the miracle for which they begged him.
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