St. Vitus Cathedral Prague description. Cathedral of Saint Vitus. Cathedral interiors and furnishings

The unsurpassed St. Vitus Cathedral is the brightest symbol of Prague, the cultural heritage of the Czech people and the spiritual center of the country. You can see the magnificent towers of the grandiose Gothic cathedral not only from, but also from many other places in the city. The rulers of Bohemia were crowned here, the royal tomb and the repository of royal regalia are also located here. The Cathedral of St. Vitus, Wenceslas and Vojtech (this is the full official name of the temple) is a great masterpiece of Gothic and neo-Gothic architecture.

The cathedral was not built right away ...

The construction of the majestic cathedral took almost 600 years! It began in the middle of the XIV century on the site of an already existing church. According to one of the legends, the first temple here was laid by St. Wenceslas himself in 925. It was a rotunda, that is, a round building with a dome, made in the Romanesque style. Wenceslas dedicated the church to Saint Vitus, since parts of his relics, namely the right hand, were presented to him by the German king Henry I. Already in the 11th century, the rotunda was replaced by a basilica, that is, a building in the shape of a rectangle. It was also Romanesque, and it had three naves - elongated rooms separated by columns. But it was demolished, and in its place in 1344 the construction of a larger cathedral began. This was initiated by Emperor Charles IV, who obtained from the Pope of Rome the creation of the Prague Archbishopric. By the way, even now St. Vitus Cathedral is the residence of the Archbishop of Prague.

The first architect of the temple was the French master Mathieu of Arras. He drew up a general plan of the cathedral, but died soon enough. His work was continued by the young architect Peter Parler, who also became famous for the construction of the Charles Bridge and many other legendary buildings in Prague. Parlerge's two sons picked up the architectural "baton" from their father. And after work on the construction of the Cathedral of St. Vitus, the master Petrilk continued. By the beginning of the Hussite wars in 1419, many parts of the temple were already ready, including a tower 96.5 meters high. But troubled times caused a big break in construction. Moreover, many decorations of the cathedral suffered from military operations.

In subsequent centuries, the construction of the temple either began or was suspended again. Different architects took on the cathedral, bringing elements of other styles, even such as baroque, to the Gothic image. For various reasons, it was not possible to fully complete the construction of St. Vitus Cathedral. It was only in the second half of the 19th century that the building was taken seriously again. The architect Josef Kranner took up the repair of the structure. He removed many baroque elements, restoring the original gothic style as much as possible. The merits of Kranner include the restoration of the unity of the entire temple composition.

The last architect who worked on the main church of the Czech capital was Kamil Hilbert. But not only through his efforts it was possible to complete the epic of construction. The work of the sculptor Wojtek Sucharda and the outstanding artist Alfons Mucha attract attention in the appearance of the temple. The official date for the completion of the construction of St. Vitus Cathedral was 1929 - this event was timed to coincide with the millennium of the death of St. Wenceslas.

St. Vitus Cathedral outside

The grandiosity of St. Vitus Cathedral is truly amazing! On the south side is the main entrance, which was previously used during the coronations of rulers or during wedding ceremonies - the so-called Golden Gate. Above the entrance is a magnificent mosaic depicting the Last Judgment, the work of unknown Venetian masters. About a million pieces of colored glass were used to create this masterpiece! The Golden Gate itself is closed by an interesting lattice. It is covered with metal figurines depicting medieval crafts - activities for different signs of the zodiac.

Located to the left of this entrance bell tower was designed by Petr Parler and built by his sons. This is one of the oldest parts of the cathedral. The dome of the tower is made in the Baroque style, but it fits perfectly into the overall Gothic image. There is an unusual clock on the tower - with two dials, each of which has only one hand. One dial shows hours and the other shows minutes. The carved gilded lattice also delights with its grace. Inside the tower there are bells, the largest of which weighs 18 tons and bears the name of Sigmund. Other large bells also have their own names: Wenceslas, John the Baptist, Joseph. They were hoisted on the bell tower after a major fire in 1541, which destroyed the old bells and damaged the clock mechanism.

On the western side of St. Vitus Cathedral there are three entrance portals, decorated with wonderful bas-reliefs. Above the main entrance, the process of building the temple is depicted. The bas-reliefs on the left tell about the life of St. Wenceslas, and on the right - St. Vojtech. Looking at the facade, one can see unusual drains in the form of chimeras and gargoyles.

Classical Gothic towers rise above the entrance portals. Their height reaches 80 meters. Between them there is a 10-meter rosette window. This is a stained glass window created in 1921. Its author, the painter Frantisek Kisela, depicted the legend of the creation of the world.

If you go around the cathedral clockwise, then from the north side you will find yourself on a fairly narrow street. The eastern part of St. Vitus Cathedral is the outer wall of the semicircular ambulatory. Going out again to the south side, you will see a covered corridor connecting the cathedral with the old royal palace.

St. Vitus Cathedral: interior

Inside the cathedral there is a unique atmosphere, which is created largely due to the unique design and architectural solutions. The light in the cathedral seems to be pouring from the large upper windows. And thanks to the colored stained-glass windows with biblical scenes, those in the temple get the feeling that they are here as if in a special dimension. Thanks to thoughtful lighting and special mesh vaults, the 33.5-meter-high central nave gives the impression of aspiration upwards.

The main altar of St. Vitus Cathedral is located in the eastern part of the building. And in front of him is the royal tomb. It consists of two parts: the above-ground Mausoleum and the underground Crypt. The Mausoleum houses a marble sarcophagus, made in 1564 and surrounded by a beautiful Renaissance wrought iron lattice. On the slab of the sarcophagus one can see relief images of Emperor Ferdinand II, his wife and son. And on the sides you can see the images of other monarchs buried in the Crypt.

Among the famous historical figures buried in the crypt of St. Vitus Cathedral: Charles IV, Wenceslas IV, Rudolf II, the Hussite king Jiri of Poděbrady and many other rulers, as well as saints. In addition, the remains of the original buildings have been preserved in the dungeon: the ancient rotunda and the basilica.

Chapels of St. Vitus Cathedral

Around the perimeter of St. Vitus Cathedral there are 19 chapels. These are lateral niches, many of which were once used for closed prayers by members of noble families. Each of them is interesting for its design, and many contain Christian shrines.

It is rich in palaces, cathedrals and other majestic architectural structures. Many of them are made in the Gothic or Baroque style. A striking representative of the combination of these two areas is St. Vitus Cathedral, located in Prague Castle. The full name sounds like "The Cathedral of St. Vitus, St. Wenceslas and St. Adalbert."

It made a strong impression on me - I have never seen such an original and unusual building anywhere else. What amazing and interesting things can be said about this unique cathedral?

Story

It was built in several stages, starting from the 14th century. The cathedral was finally completed only at the beginning of the 20th century. We will not delve into the wilds of history and note only the most interesting facts. Already from the very beginning, St. Vitus Cathedral was conceived as a sacred place for the coronation, a family crypt and a treasury. All the construction that was carried out after the 15th century introduced Baroque elements into the ensemble. This made the building even more unique. The cathedral was built for 600 years, survived floods, fires and military destruction. So it became one of the greatest historical and cultural buildings that have survived to this day. Now it is there that the residence of the local archbishop is located.

Architecture Features

The length of the main nave of the cathedral is 124 meters. The nave is an elongated room bounded on one or both sides by a row of pillars or columns. Such interior features are inherent in cathedrals or basilicas.

The height of the large south tower is 96.5 meters.

On the western side of the cathedral there are two lower towers, 80 meters.

The whole cathedral is decorated with beautiful sculptures and ornaments. In addition, some decorative beams are decorated with openwork elements.

I have been to many observation decks of the city, this building is perfectly visible from there. But the most remarkable thing is that St. Vitus Cathedral can be seen from almost anywhere in the historical center of Prague, even if it is not on a hill. This is mainly due to the fact that the Prague Castle itself, where the cathedral is located, is located on a mountain. In addition, thanks to the long spire on the bell tower, this building has been the tallest building in Prague for many years.

How to get to St. Vitus Cathedral

St. Vitus Cathedral is located at III. nádvoří 48/2, 119 01 Praha 1, where the first part means the street and house number, and the second "11901" is the unique house number within the city. To get there, you first need to be in Prague Castle. This can be done in several ways. If your goal is to visit the entire Prague Castle, then go to any of the following tram stops: Pražský hrad, Královský letohrádek, Brusnice, Pohořelec, Malostranské náměstí. You can also get to the metro station "Malostranská" or "Hradčanská", from where you can walk to the fortress in no more than 10 minutes.

If you purposefully want to visit only St. Vitus Cathedral, then you need to get to the Pražský hrad tram stop, from where you have to walk about 500 meters.

But I advise you not to miss the opportunity and explore the entire Prague Castle - its interesting places and sights can be found in this article.

South Tower

The main part of the tower is made in the Gothic style: stone walls, sharp spiers, narrow tall windows. At its top is an unusual weather vane in the form of a huge gilded lion. On the smaller towers, the weathercocks are made in the form of roosters - they are perfectly visible from the observation platform.

On the first floor there is a chapel, from where 286 steps lead to the top of the tower. At the level of the second floor and about a hundred steps, the largest bell in the Czech Republic is hung, its name is Zikmund. This is not the first bell with this name - its predecessor was melted down in a fire at Prague Castle in the middle of the 16th century. The new bell was cast from the material of the old one, making it a great replacement. A floor above are the rest, smaller bells, the most famous of which are Wenceslas and John the Baptist. Even higher is the clock mechanism. On each side of the tower there are two dials, where the clock is shown on one, and quarters on the other.

And at the very top there is a magnificent observation deck. The view from it opens in all directions. I think the long climb up the spiral staircase is worth the splendor.

You can see Vysehrad, the Charles Bridge across the Vltava, the television tower, and the myriad of orange-red roofs for which it is so famous.

Bell Zikmund

There are not many bells in the whole world that are superior to this one. Zikmund begins to sound, even if you just tap on it with your finger. Just imagine what sounds he can make if a first-class bell ringer gets down to business!

The bell is richly decorated with relief images: the themes of the Holy Trinity, the Virgin Mary, the Crucifixion. The sketches were as simple as possible, I think, because it is almost impossible to cast the smallest details from bronze.

According to legend, it took sixteen pairs of horses to bring the bell to the tower. And, as you might guess, lifting it up turned out to be even more difficult: chains and thick ropes were torn under the weight. One day, his eldest daughter came to the king and asked permission to raise Zikmund to the tower. The princess was very smart, so the king was surprised, but allowed. After that, his daughter began to build some kind of cunning mechanism, which she herself developed. And instead of chains, she wove a silk rope. On the appointed day, a lot of people gathered in Hradchany - everyone wanted to stare at the miracle. After all the preparations, the princess began to move the levers, and the bell began to slowly rise. Everyone was praising the king's daughter when the bells rang over the city. Scientists asked for permission to study this smart device, but the princess refused them. Instead, she personally dismantled the device and destroyed it so that it would no longer be remembered.

Tickets

You can visit the Vitus Cathedral with a complex ticket for 350 CZK or 175 CZK for students and schoolchildren upon presentation of an appropriate certificate. Also, families with children under 16 years old (no more than five) and two adults can purchase this route for 700 kroons. It includes not only St. Vitus Cathedral, but also the Old Royal Palace, St. George's Basilica, Golden Lane, the "History of Prague Castle" exposition, the Art Gallery, the Powder Tower, Rozmberg Palace.

There is also a simplified scheme for those who are ready to admire the temple from the outside, but only want to get to the observation deck. It will cost only 150 crowns.

Since I had big plans, I took the second option. As it turned out, a nice bonus was attached to it: a commemorative coin with the image of Prague Castle and Zikmund's bell.

I already have a whole collection of such coins from the Czech Republic and Germany, so there was no limit to joy. Even if you are not interested, you can always bring such a souvenir as a gift.

Where can you eat

If you are tired after a long walk or want to take a break from getting new impressions, it's time to refresh yourself. Right in the center of Prague Castle, not far from the cathedral, there are several cafe-bistros: Rožmberský palác, Gallery, U Kanovníků. The menu includes dishes of typical Czech cuisine: soup, goulash. But, as you can guess, the prices here are considerable due to the location. Of course, if you are very hungry, you can afford to dine in these establishments. But as soon as you move away from Prague Castle, there are more cafes and restaurants, and the amount of the average check decreases.

Judging by the map, there are not so few options in the accessibility zone. In addition, on Lesser Town Square there is one of the Starbucks coffee shops at . Here you can not only drink coffee, but also enjoy pastries, which I did. Over a cup of strong drink, it’s just nice to discuss what you saw and decide where to go next.

legends

There are many legends about the capital of the Czech Republic, and since St. Vitus Cathedral is a fairly well-known landmark, its legends have not been spared.

One legend says that when Charles IV died, all the bells in the city rang. According to another legend, Wenceslas IV was predicted to die at the bell tower, after which he ordered to destroy it. The actions of the king caused an outbreak of social movement, and this made him very angry. He soon died of a heart attack.

The most mysterious is the legend about the new bell ringer of the South Tower. He spent a lot of time in local taverns, for which his wife scolded him more than once. One of the evenings, the bell ringer was so carried away that he was afraid to return home and decided to spend the night in the Hasenburg Chapel. When he got there, he lay down on a pile of straw in the corner and fell asleep. The bell ringer was awakened by a glow emanating from an unknown figure. She began to reprimand the sleeping drunkard for defiling the holy place and falling into the chapel in such a state. The next morning, the bell ringer was unrecognizable - his hair had become completely gray.

There is another legend about the Zikmund bell: if its core breaks, a terrible disaster awaits the country. I think the locals especially believe this. This happened in 2002, and shortly thereafter was subjected to severe flooding for several weeks.

And being one of the brightest examples of Gothic architecture in Eastern Europe, it is the largest and most significant temple not only in Prague, but throughout the Czech Republic. Its full name is the Cathedral of St. Vitus, St. Wenceslas and St. Vojtech, it was in this cathedral that Czech kings were crowned for many centuries, royal weddings and christenings took place here, and the tomb of Bohemian kings and Prague archbishops is also located here.

St. Vitus Cathedral is a truly majestic building: the length of its main nave is 124 meters and its height is 34 meters. The southern tower of the cathedral reaches a height of almost 100 meters! This is not only the highest tower of the cathedral, but also the highest in Prague, it can be seen from almost all corners of the Czech capital.

The history of the construction of the cathedral is not simple and has six centuries. The first stone was laid in the middle of the 14th century, and the final stage of construction was completed only in the middle of the 20th century. The great masters of their time worked on the construction of the cathedral, and if you are interested in the details, you can find them in another article on the cathedral -.

Do not rush to enter the cathedral, go around it - admire the picturesque facades of St. Vitus Cathedral. They seem to be woven from stone lace. You can easily see the interweaving of branches, leaves and flowers in these laces.

And, of course, the expressive figures of gargoyles decorating the gutters will attract your attention. These monsters are guards who, according to medieval beliefs, protected the cathedral from demons.

South facade

In the time of the kings, St. Vitus Cathedral was entered from the south side through the Golden Gate, it was they who served as the solemn entrance for. The entrance got its name from the beautiful and unique gilded glass mosaic above the gate arches. The mosaic, created in the 14th century under Peter Parlerge by Venetian masters, depicts the Last Judgment. The stained-glass window above the mosaic continues the theme of this biblical story.

Golden Gate

south tower

One of the features of the south tower of St. Vitus Cathedral is that its main part, like the whole cathedral, is Gothic, while its upper part is made in the Renaissance style, and it is crowned with a baroque dome, with a shining three-meter Czech lion on the spire. Such a fusion of architectural styles became possible due to the long construction of the temple: the main part of the tower was built under Charles IV, and the green onion roof was completed at the end of the 18th century and was not changed when the cathedral was completed. The south tower is also notable for its curious clock, which has only one hand. On the upper dial you need to determine the hours, and on the bottom - the minutes.

South facade of the cathedral

You can climb the 297 steep steps to the observation deck at the top of the south tower and not only see magnificent Prague in full view, but also see the largest church bell in the Czech Republic. Sigismund, as he is called, was cast in the 16th century, weighs 18 tons, and is 2 meters high. One of the many Prague legends tells about how Sigismund was lifted to the tower: they say that only 16 pairs of horses could be brought to the bell, and all the ropes were torn from its weight; he was dragged to the tower with the help of an ingenious invention of the royal daughter and a silk rope woven by her, but when foreign scientists wanted to know the secret of this device, the princess ordered the mechanism to be destroyed, and no one found out the secret.

West facade

The western facade of St. Vitus Cathedral was made at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries during the final stage of the construction of the cathedral. There are three portals here, one of which is the main entrance to the cathedral today.

Above it is a beautiful stained-glass rose window with biblical scenes of the creation of the world. The famous twin 82-meter towers of the cathedral also rise here.

Under the stained-glass windows of the northern and southern walls of the temple, there is a stone gallery, decorated with sculptural portraits of King Charles IV, members of his family, clergy and the two first builders of the cathedral, Mathieu of Arras and Peter Parlerge, created in the 14th century.

The organ of St. Vitus Cathedral is one of the best in Europe, but it does not sound often - only on church holidays. Designed and built by Peter Parlezh, the magnificent ribbed arched vault is supported by 28 columns. The altar and the royal tomb are located in the eastern part of the cathedral, and chapels are located along the walls, there are 21 of them in the cathedral.

* Chapel - a small separate room in a large temple dedicated to a saint and used for prayer.

Chapel of Saint Wenceslas

In the 14th century, John of Nepomuk was the queen's confessor and refused to give the king, who suspected adultery, the secret of confession, which earned the sovereign's wrath. By order of King Wenceslas IV, he was tortured and thrown in a sack into the waters of the Vltava from the Charles Bridge. Later he was buried in St. Vitus Cathedral, and at the beginning of the 18th century he was canonized.

The tombstone of the grave of St. John of Nepomuk is located in the altar part of the cathedral, but it can be seen almost from the very entrance to the cathedral. Created in the first half of the 18th century by an Austrian architect from two tons of pure silver, this masterpiece of baroque art simply dazzles with its splendor.

It is said that one of the lamps on the saint's gravestone was gold. The master who made it became impoverished, and he was threatened with prison for debts. He was in despair, there was no one to ask for help. In a dream, Saint John of Nepomuk appeared to him and ordered him to take a lamp made by the master from his grave, sell it and repay his debts. After the dream was repeated several times, the master decided to go to the grave of the saint and knelt there, the lamp itself fell into his hands. From her gold, the jeweler made a lot of jewelry, sold them and paid off debts. When he returned to the grave of John of Nepomuk to thank the saint, he saw a golden lamp in the same place. Having grown rich, the master made another golden lamp, surpassing the former in beauty, and wanted to hang it over the grave of the saint, but when he came to the grave, he found that the old lamp was gone - it had given way to a new one.

St. Vitus Cathedral is the pride and reverently guarded national monument of the Czech Republic. The world-famous cathedral has a full, much less well-known name - the Cathedral of St. Vitus, Wenceslas and Vojtech.

St. Vitus Cathedral in the evening lights - panorama Google Maps

Ticket prices 2019

You can see St. Vitus Cathedral from the outside for free and enter the area closest to the entrance. You can examine the decoration of the cathedral in more detail by purchasing tickets for one of the excursion routes around Prague Castle.

Ticket prices for routes:

• Prague Castle (circle B) - 250 CZK;
• Prague Castle (circle, A)" - 350 crowns.

Observation deck on the south tower - 150 CZK.

The exhibition "Treasury of St. Vitus Cathedral" together with the Prague Castle Art Gallery is available with a separate ticket purchase for 250 kroons.

St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague from a bird's eye view (video)

How to get to St. Vitus Cathedral

You can get to the cathedral from the city center both on foot and by public transport. From the Prague-1 area you need to walk to Prague-2. This is approximately 1.5-2.5 kilometers along the hills and streets of the city. For those who love hiking and are not afraid of loads, the path will seem very interesting. From the city center, go to the Malostranska side (via Karlov or Manesow bridges), put a dot on the navigator, and go!

If such walks are not for you, you can choose a lightweight option - get to the Malostranská metro station, then you will have to walk 800 meters, though also uphill.

The easiest route is by tram number 22. It departs from the city center (take, for example, at the Národní třída stop. 15 minutes on the way and you are at the Prague Castle (the stop is called Pražský hrad). From here you will need to go down a little to the cathedral .

You can get as close as possible to the cathedral by taxi. In Prague, there is a convenient mobile application Uber.

How to walk from the tram stop to St. Vitus Cathedral - Google Maps

One of the most beautiful Gothic churches in Europe, the Cathedral of Saints Vitus, Wenceslas and Vojtech. visible from any part of Prague. All other sights of the Czech Republic of the Gothic style fade before it, it is so unique and unrepeatable. It is located on the territory of Prague Castle.

St. Vitus Cathedral: through the pages of history

This colossal building has no analogues in the whole world, not only in its Gothic architecture, but above all in its history. St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague began to be built in the middle of the XIV century and was completed by the XX century. Historians distinguish several stages of its legendary construction.

• Stage I: 1344-1419 The initiators of the construction of the cathedral were Archbishop Ernest and King Charles IV of the Czech Republic. The temple was originally conceived as a coronation site, family crypt and royal treasury. Due to the Hussite wars, construction was stopped.
• Stage II: 1490-1510 The Czech king Vladislav Jagiellon wanted to complete the construction of the great cathedral and entrusted it to Benedikt Rejt, a talented architect, but the process was halted due to lack of funds.
• Stage III: 1556-1593 New attempts were made to complete the construction of St. Vitus Cathedral, which brought baroque elements to the architectural ensemble of the cathedral.
• Stage IV: 1873-1929 Architect Josef Kranner presented the program for the completion of the cathedral. He personally led the repair work and managed to get rid of baroque elements. After Kranner's death, the new architect Josef Moker had to finish the reconstruction. Finally, in 1929, the construction of the legendary cathedral, which lasted almost 600 years, was completed.

Features of Gothic architecture

The Prague Cathedral has all the features of a typical Gothic architectural style. It differs from other Gothic structures by its impressive size and other features:

• the length of the main nave is 124 meters;
• the length of the transverse nave is 60 meters;
• the height of the Great South Tower is about 97 meters;
• the height of stone neo-gothic towers is 82 meters;
• the height of the inner vault is 33 meters;
• round window in the form of a rosette - 10 meters.

Three portals of the cathedral are decorated with stone and bronze sculptures and reliefs. A unique feature is the gargoyles from the Middle Ages, which, according to legend, scare away evil spirits, but in practice they are drains.

Interior decoration

The greatest attention in the cathedral is attracted by the unusual beauty of colored stained-glass windows. Indeed, in the Middle Ages, it was believed that the light in the temple should be special, unearthly. When the rays of the sun hit the windows, the cathedral seems to light up with rainbow colors. Dozens of Czech artists worked on stained glass windows, including the famous Alfons Mucha.

St. Vitus Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral, as well as a royal tomb and a place of storage of coronation regalia, since until 1918 the coronations of Czech kings took place here. Dozens of royal persons and their relatives are buried in the temple. The bodies of emperors and kings are in the Habsburg mausoleum and in the crypt.

Also in a separate side room are family chapels, which were created at the expense of local nobles. In those days, it was a great privilege to have your own place for prayers, and the patrons had to equip their chapel on their own, inviting artists and sculptors. Even holy relics and valuable relics were bought to equip their own chapels.

Information for tourists

Working mode:

• from November to March: Mon - Sat - 9:00 - 16:00 (Sunday - 12:00 - 16:00);
• from April to October: Mon - Sat - 9:00 - 17:00 (Sunday - 12:00 - 17:00).

Ticket price:

• South tower - observation deck - 150 kroons;
• exposition “Treasures of the Saint's Cathedral” – 250 kroons;
• "Prague Castle - circle B" - 250 kroons;
• "Prague Castle - circle A" - 350 kroons.

How to get to St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague Castle

The address: III. nádvoří 48/2, Pražský hrad.

How to get there:

• By tram number 22 - to the stop "Pražský hrad".
• By metro: to Malostranská station, then go up the old castle stairs.

Prague sacredly keeps and honors its sights: in this city, the cathedral is a real shrine for local citizens. Seeing its greatness and beauty, appreciating its cultural and historical heritage, tourists perfectly understand the inhabitants of Prague. And in the evening you can relax by the amazingly beautiful singing fountain. He is also no less loved and revered.