Wenceslas Square (Vaclavske namesti)
Prague 1, New Town
This is the main shopping street in Prague. At the top of the square
is a statue of St. Wenceslas with four patrons of Bohemia St. Prokop, St.
Adalbert, St. Ludmila and St. Agnes.
The National Theatre
Prague 1, Narodni trida 2
Neo-Renaissance building built in 1881 according to plans of J. Zítek. In 1881
the theatre burnt down and was reconstructed by architect Josef Schulz in 1883.
The National Museum
Prague 1, Vaclavske nam. 68
Neo-Renaissance building designed by architect Josef Schulz in 1885-90.
New Town City Hall
Praha 2, Karlovo namesti 23
A complex of Gothic buildings from the turn of the 14th and the 15th centuries,
reconstructed in the Renaissance style during the years 1520-1526. They include
a tower with the Holy Virgin Chapel, two Gothic Halls with ribbed vault
ceilings, and a Renaissance Hall. This was the seat of the Administration
Offices of the New Town of Prague from 1377 to 1784. The defenestration of
Catholic city councellors by Prague Hussites occurred here on July 30, 1419.
This date is considered to be the start of the Hussite Revolution.
Emmaus
Prague 2, Na Slovanech
The Emmaus Monastery was founded by Charles IV in 1347 for Slavonic Benedictines
with the Church of Our Lady and Slavonic patrones. At the end of World War II
it was damaged by bombing. The two asymmetrical spires were finished in
1967.
Vyaehrad
On a rock over the River Vltava, is the oldest seat of the Premyslid princes.
The most ancient building in Vyaehrad is the rotunda of St. Martin. In the
vicinity of St. Peter and Paul's Church is the residence of canons, casemates,
a park and cemetery with the tombs of famous representatives of Czech culture
(Slavin). From the southern part of the fortifications is a beautiful view of
Prague.
Slavin
The Vyaehrad cemetery gained its current shape in 1869. It ranks among the most
important Prague cemeteries. A cemetery stood in its place as early as 1260.
Its importance grew with the founding of "Slavin". It is the final resting
place of the most significant personalities of the Czech nation. Slavin was
built between 1889 and 1893. Above the central memorial at Slavin is a
sarcophagus with an allegorical winged statue the Genius Patriae. The motto of
the Slavin cemetery is engraved above the name plates: Though dead, they still
speak. To date, more than 600 personalities from the world of Czech culture and
education have been buried here. They include, for example, the
composers Bedrich Smetana and Antonin Dvorak, the painter Alfons Mucha, the
opera singer Ema Destinova, the writer Karel Capek, the Nobel Prize winner
Jaroslav Heyrovsky and many others.
|
