Page 140 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Prague

138  PR A GUE AREA B Y AREA

r Charles Bridge (Old Town Side)
Karlův Most
Until 1741, Charles Bridge was the only crossing over the
Vltava. It is 520 m (1,706 ft) long and is built of sandstone
blocks, rumoured to be strengthened by mixing mortar
with eggs. The bridge was commissioned by Charles IV
in 1357 to replace the Judith Bridge and built by Peter
Parler. The bridge’s original decoration was a simple
cross. The first statue – of St John Nepomuk
– was added in 1683, inspired by Bernini’s
sculptures on Rome’s Ponte Sant’Angelo.

. 17th-Century
Crucifixion
St Francis Xavier, 1711 For 200 years, the
The Jesuit missionary is wooden crucifix stood
supported by one Moorish, alone on the bridge. The gilded Christ
one Tartar and two Oriental dates from 1629 and the Hebrew words
converts, plus a pagan prince “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord”, were paid for by
awaiting baptism. a Jew as punishment for blasphemy.

KEY
1 St Norbert, St Wenceslas and 6 St Ann, 1707
St Sigismund, 1853 7 St Joseph with Jesus, 1854
2 St Francis Borgia, 1710 8 Pietà, 1859
3 St John the Baptist, 1855 9 St Barbara, St Margaret and Thirty Years’ War
In the last hours of this war,
4 St Christopher, 1857 St Elizabeth, 1707 the Old Town was saved
5 St Cyril and St Methodius, 0 St Ivo, 1711 from the Swedish army.
1938 q Old Town Bridge Tower The truce was signed in the
middle of the bridge in 1648.

1357 Charles IV 1648 Swedes 1890 flood
commissions new bridge 1621 Heads of ten damage part damage
Protestant nobles of the bridge
1342 Judith Bridge exhibited on the Old and Old Town 2002 Bridge survives
destroyed by floods Town Bridge Tower Bridge Tower huge flood unscathed
1100 1300 1500 1700 1900
1158 Europe’s second 1890 Three arches 1938 Karel
medieval stone bridge, 1393 St John Nepomuk destroyed by flood Dvořák’s
Judith Bridge, is built thrown off Bridge on the sculp ture of
orders of Wenceslas IV 1713 Bridge decorated St Cyril and
with 21 statues by Braun, St Methodius
Sculptor Matthias Braun (1684–1738) Brokoff and others

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