St Vitus Cathedral not only adorns Prague Castle. It is a symbol of the Czech Republic, a Gothic masterpiece, a spiritual shrine, a visual dominant of the Czech capital and an artistic creation that has no analogues in the world. It is impossible to visit Prague and pass by the main attraction. The beauty and grandiosity of the cathedral defies description. It can be seen from all sides and it is, indeed, something to be seen. The cathedral is included in all sightseeing itineraries of Prague Castle.
Although the architecture of the cathedral is predominantly Gothic, it doesn't look overwhelmingly medieval. That's because St Vitus Cathedral is the world's most famous long-built building. During its construction, architectural styles changed, and each one was embodied in the appearance of the temple. The combination of Gothic with Renaissance, Rococo and Baroque turned out to be incredibly harmonious and brought the cathedral among the most interesting sights of Europe.
Three Saints Cathedral
The history of the cathedral is ancient, and it began even before its erection. At the end of the 9th century, Christianity came to the Czech lands. To support the new religion, the ruling prince Wenceslas decided to build a new temple on the site of the former temple of the pagan god Svatovit. And to dedicate it to Vitus, a canonised martyr of early Christianity. The calculation was simple: by the consonance of names - Svyatovit and Saint Vit - it would be easier for people to accept the Christian saint. Thus appeared the temple, then the Basilica of St Vitus - the place of coronation of the first Czech dynasty of kings.
Prince Wenceslas has remained in history as a zealous Christian who contributed to the strengthening of the new religion. Not all of the nobility was fond of living according to the Christian laws of honour and goodness. And the young prince, beloved by the common people, was simply killed. After his death, Wenceslas was canonised. His tomb, sword and armour are in St. Vitus Cathedral and are revered as relics. And St Wenceslas himself is considered the patron saint of the Czech Republic.
Sixty years later, one of the most famous European Christians of the 10th century, Bishop Vojtech (Adalbert of Prague) of Prague, was buried in the church. He was canonised after his martyrdom at the hands of Prussian pagans.
So the name of the church, known to most tourists as St Vitus Cathedral, officially sounds like the Cathedral of St Vitus, Wenceslas and Vojtech.
A six-century-long construction
It began on the initiative of one of the greatest kings of Bohemia, Charles IV, who decided to build a large temple on the site of the basilica - for divine services, coronations of the ruling kings, their burial and storage of the relics of the state.
The construction of the basilica was initiated by Charles IV, one of the greatest kings of Bohemia.
In 1344, the famous Flemish architect Matthias began work on the ambitious royal project. Eight years after laying the foundation stone, he died unexpectedly. The construction was taken over by Peter Parlerzha, a young representative of a whole dynasty of architects. The architect established himself by designing some of Prague's most iconic places. The talented master worked on several projects at once, among them:
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Charles Bridge
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Old Town Bridge Tower
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Cathedral of the Virgin Mary (Týn Church)
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St Vitus Cathedral
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several religious buildings throughout the Czech Republic.
With the help of his large family clan of architects, in 40 years he built the eastern part of the cathedral, laid the south tower, erected the Golden Gate, the altar and the Chapel of St Wenceslas. The main thing is that thanks to Parlerzh the temple acquired a style unique to him, which distinguished it from other Gothic masterpieces. This style was called Late German or Special Gothic. The work was continued by his sons, they completed the south side of the cathedral and part of the south tower.
And then came a pause, for a whole hundred years. First, the Hussite wars lasted for 15 years, then there was a terrible fire that destroyed most of the magnificent Prague Castle. It caused serious damage to the exterior of the cathedral. It was only at the end of the 16th century, during the reconstruction, that the main tower was finished and the northern part of the church was completed. All in the Renaissance style.
The middle of the XVII century brought new problems: lightning cracked the dome of the south tower. It was rebuilt, but it was a different look. The tower acquired a green onion-shaped dome. We admire this classical baroque today.
The next break in construction lasted for 200 years. The cathedral was in operation, services were held in it. But there were no finances to complete the construction. They appeared in the middle of the XIX century thanks to the public activity of the citizens of Prague. Czech architects completed the long construction. By 1929 they brought all parts of the cathedral, created in different styles in different centuries, to a "common denominator". They gave completeness to its appearance, which today is the best decoration of Prague.
Tomb of eminent persons
Since the time of the first basilica, St Vitus Cathedral has been a royal tomb. For 10 centuries, 2 princes of Bohemia, 3 kings of Bohemia, 5 emperors of the Holy Roman Empire have found their final resting place in it. And also many Czech queens, princes and princesses.
The marble mausoleum of the Habsburgs in front of the main altar of the cathedral is in neo-Gothic style. The top slab of the tomb is decorated with sculptural images of Emperor Ferdinand I lying down with his wife and son, Maximilian II. The emperor spent most of his life in Vienna, but willed to bury himself in St Vitus Cathedral in Prague, emphasising the importance of both the cathedral and the city in the life of the empire.
Beneath the mausoleum, in the underground rooms of the cathedral, is the tomb of the Czech kings. You can only go there as part of a guided tour, access for the general public is closed. The dungeon was built at the end of the 16th century and the sarcophagi from under the altar were moved there. They were renewed at a later time.
There is a tombstone in the cathedral, whose relics do not belong to nobles. Even on the contrary, this saint suffered a conflict with the then Czech king. It is the relics of the priest Jan Nepomucký, honoured in the Catholic Church as a martyr and saint. At the end of the 14th century, he was arrested and brutally tortured by order of the monarch. His body was thrown into the Vltava River at night. Then it was found and buried in the cathedral. The murder became so high-profile that it served as a pretext for the overthrow of the king. Three centuries later, the priest was canonised. The huge tombstone of St Jan, richly decorated in Baroque style, took 2 tonnes of silver.
In total, the church has 23 chapels with tombstones of the rulers and bishops of Bohemia.
Main Royal Treasury
Today, the vault of royal regalia is not just a treasure trove filled with riches. It is a national treasure of the state, a huge layer of Czech history.
In St Vitus Cathedral, the main treasury is the Chapel of St Wenceslas, the founder of Bohemia. Created during the original construction, it is the sacred place of the cathedral, a true testament to the country's ancient history. The tomb of St Wenceslas itself is beneath the chapel, as are the foundations of the ancient 10th century basilica. A separate door from the chapel leads to the vault of royal regalia.
The oldest of these regalia is the crown of St Wenceslas, made of 21-22 carat pure gold, weighing almost 2.5kg. The crown is crowned with a 19-centimetre cross and adorned with precious stones:
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19 sapphires
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44 spinels
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30 emeralds
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20 pearls
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1 tourmaline.
The crown did not actually belong to St Wenceslas. It was made for the coronation of Charles IV in 1347. The latter dedicated it to the founder and chief guardian of the country and bequeathed it for the coronation of all heirs to the Czech throne. There is no limit to perfection, and Charles IV improved the look of the crown until the end of his days, acquiring for it the rarest and largest stones.
A copy of the unique crown can be seen in the museum dedicated to the Prague Castle. It is located next to the cathedral. The full royal regalia is displayed for public viewing once every 8 years.
It is best to appreciate the size of the cathedral from afar, against the background of the general panorama of Prague. The view of St Vitus Cathedral from Charles Bridge is considered the most famous - it is mesmerising.
The size of the cathedral is also impressive in numbers: the length of the structure is 124 metres, the height of the towers - from 82 to 96 metres. To view the splendour of the cathedral up close, you will have to walk around it with your head up. Perhaps that was the intention of its architects. One of the finishing touches of the temple construction already in the XX century is a rose-shaped window on the facade. The diameter of this rosette is 10 metres. On the south side is the front entrance - the beautiful Golden Gate.
Inside the cathedral you can stay all day long to see all its beauties. The light inside comes through the beautiful stained glass windows with biblical themes. The lancet windows and arches themselves have been preserved since the Middle Ages. The vault is supported by 28 columns and the walls are decorated with skilful frescoes and mosaics made of semi-precious stones.
Today the cathedral is not only a repository of Czech history and its symbol. It is Prague's largest religious and museum centre, a concert hall with a beautiful organ and a venue for important state ceremonies.
Today the cathedral is not only a repository of Czech history and its symbol.
Legends of the Cathedral of St Vitus, Wenceslas and Vojtech
The long centuries-old history of the cathedral is full of secrets, myths and legends. The most famous are:
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about the guardian rooster
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about the inviolability of St Vitus' tomb
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on the justice of St Wenceslaus
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on the crown of St Wenceslas.
The relics of St Vitus behind the main altar are decorated with a sculpture of the saint, at whose feet sits a rooster, almost identical to the one on the cathedral's spire. This symbol is considered in Catholicism to be protective. This is confirmed by the legend of the robbers who entered the church. They hid behind the altar, waiting for the ministers to go home. And fell asleep. Suddenly, the rooster at the feet of the statue of St Vitus crowed three times and the cathedral became bright. The thieves woke up and thought it was morning. And they hurried away - through the window, right into the hands of the guards. When the godless robbers were executed, the action was accompanied by the crowing of all the roosters in Prague.
The burial itself is considered inviolable. Numerous legends say that anyone who destroys the saint's tomb will fall into hell. According to one of them, in 1620 Calvinists intended to destroy the cathedral. As soon as one of the leaders touched the altar of St Vitus, he immediately dropped dead. The rest of the "accomplices" were left crippled.
Charles IV, in his military campaigns, urged his knights to treat women and children humanely. But one member of his army, a certain Michalowitz, was particularly cruel. Apparently, the wife guessed about her husband's inclinations and was tormented by premonitions. She went to the relics of St Wenceslas to pray for her husband. But the cathedral was closed. Neither the watchman nor the invited master could open it. But as soon as she left, the doors opened without difficulty. That very night her husband was killed as punishment for his unbelievable cruelty.
Legends also surround the crown of St Wenceslas. The most vivid one is about a curse and the imminent death of whoever wears it without having the right to do so. The curse befell, for example, Heydrich, Hitler's Reichskommissar in the occupied territory of Bohemia. Out of vanity or permissiveness, he decided to try on the crown. He died a few days later in an assassination attempt organised by Czech patriots.
Where did the St Vitus dances come from
There is a very dubious medieval belief associated with this saint. It originated in Germany. It was believed that if you danced in front of the statue of St Vitus on his day, you would be healthy all year long. It is hard to imagine a queue to the statue or a crowd dancing around it in a Prague cathedral. It was closer to an orgy than Christian behaviour. But that's what was happening.
During the plague epidemic, this strange way of gaining health became widespread and took on the character of a psychosis. These collective hysterical fits in fear of a deadly disease were called "St Vitus' dances".
Medicine later used the term for symptoms of a rare genetic disease.
