Charles Bridge (Karluv most)
Praha 1 - Staré Mesto;Praha 1 - Malá Strana
The oldest Prague bridge built in the place of the Judita's Bridge that had been badly damaged by a flood in 1342. The Stone or Prague Bridge since 1870 called Charles Bridge, was founded by Charles IV in the year 1357. By the latest researches the construction was started by Master Otto and finished by Peter Parler in 1402. Both ends of the bridge are fortified by towers (the Lesser Town Bridge Towers, the Old Town Bridge Tower). From 1683 to 1928 thirty sculptures and sculptural groups of the saints were gradually set on the bridge piers (M. Braun, F. M. Brokof, etc.) The bridge is 515 meters long and 10 meters wide.
Old Town Bridge Tower (Staromestská mostecká vez)
The entrance gate to the Charles Bridge from the Old Town river bank, the most beautiful gate of the Gothic Europe was a masterpiece of the Court Buildingworks, it was finished before 1380. It is richly adorned with sculptures - coats of arms of the countries belonging to the Czech Crown under the reign of Charles IV, statues of St. Vitus, Charles IV, Wenceslas IV, St. Vojtech (Adalbert) and Sigmund.
Permanent exhibition:
"Charles Bridge - ray through centuries" - the picture about the astrological and astronomic relations of the origins of Charles bridge. Klementinum - Astronomical Tower, Baroque Library (Klementinum - Astronomická vez, Barokní knihovna, Zrcadlová kaple)
The extensive baroque campus - built from the half of the 16th century till the half of the 18th century. It was the Jesuit College. Nowadays it is a seat of the National library and the State technical library. The Astronomical Tower and Baroque library hall are making part of this campus, open to the public from 2000.
The baroque hall is from the beginning of the 18th century and was built by K. I. Dienzehofer and is decorated by frescoes and portraits of the important members of the Jesuit Order. In 1775 the systematic meteorological and climatic measurement was started in the Astronomical Tower and serves to this purpose till today.
|
