A narrow passageway leads to the castle's third courtyard, from which the massive and magnificent façade of St Vitus' Cathedral, just a few steps away, becomes immediately visible. The entry to the cathedral is through the west door. The spires of St Vitus Cathedral's towers rise above the ramparts, as does its magnificent French Gothic structure. It is the largest cathedral in the country featuring several side chapels, frescoes, and tombstones, as well as exquisite stained-glass windows in the nave (created by the renowned Czech Art Nouveau artist Alfons Mucha), which sparkle with the interior decorations.
The Golden Gate, the cathedral's southern entrance, features a beautifully gilded mosaic depicting the Last Judgment. The mosaic, which dates back to 1370, is one of the castle's artistic masterpieces. It is possible to climb the 96-meter-high tower to admire the city's spectacular mechanisms and clock. The Sigismund bell in the tower, cast in 1549, is the biggest in the Czech Republic.
The church is adorned with chimeras. The chimeras are the offspring of the hundred-headed scarecrow Typhon and the fabled creature Echidna, also known as "the mother of all monsters". The chimeras guard the cathedral from themselves. The Prague chimeras differ from those in other nations in that their lips are closed. When they fly in to attack a sacred site, they recognize their own image and flee in fear. These chimeras also have a practical function: they are gutters.
St Vitus' Cathedral can be seen from every point in the city. It was built in 1344 and is a masterpiece of the European Gothic style, as well as a spiritual, cultural, and historical treasure of the Czech Republic. The cathedral was created by French architect Mathieu of Arras. After his death in 1352, Petr Parlerž (1330-1399), the best Czech architect of the time, oversaw the construction of the spectacular structure. After his death, his sons Vaclav and Jan continued the work, and the cathedral was completed at the beginning of the 20th century.
The cathedral's current appearance is the culmination of almost a thousand years of evolution. The Romanesque rotunda was built on this site as early as the tenth century. However, Charles IV, King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor, who was inspired by the magnificent French temples, began construction of the current cathedral. As you may be aware, construction of the cathedral began in 1344 and finished in 1929, precisely 1,000 years after the death of Bohemia's most prominent patron saint, St Václav.
Reviews