One of the main attractions of the Czech capital appeared in the Middle Ages. The Charles Bridge in Prague, whose history began in the middle of the XIV century, is a triumph of engineering, and even now it stands as an unshakable stronghold, despite the destructive force of frequent floods.
Thousands of tourists stroll along the visiting card of the city, but the most suitable time to enjoy its amazing beauty is a calm early morning. A lot of ancient legends are connected with an architectural miracle, possessing the power of magical attraction, and even now it presents surprises to researchers.
A bit of history
Every tourist knows in which city Charles Bridge is located. It is located in Prague - the most romantic capital of Europe, which stores many architectural monuments.
The temperamental river Vltava constantly destroyed the wooden bridges laid through it. And even the stone ferry could not resist the steep disposition of the water artery connecting the Old Town and Prague Castle. After the Juditin bridge, which existed for about two centuries, was buried under water, the ruler decided to replace it. Prague could not do without a grandiose building connecting two parts of one city: the lack of communication negatively affected its financial well-being.
First, it was necessary to remove the garbage remaining after the destruction of the stone crossing. It was decided to build a new bridge 40 meters from the previous one, since the remaining debris did not allow to engage in construction work. To ensure that the water pressure on the structure was not the same, it was erected a little curved upstream.
The magic of numbers
It is believed that King Charles IV turned not only to engineers, but also to his astrologers, so that they set a date for the start of construction. Scientists who attached great importance to the magic of numbers, after lengthy calculations, recommended the exact time, and the king himself laid the foundation stone at 5 hours 31 minutes on July 9, 1357. Perhaps this trick provided excellent durability of the architectural monument.
Strong egg solution
According to another legend, only an unusual mixture, consisting of fresh chicken eggs mixed with red sandstone and small pebbles, helped withstand the violent onslaught of the Vltava. Thousands of food convoys flocked to Prague. Some peasants, even to please their ruler, even boiled eggs, and then the builders, who filled all the cavities of the structure with mortar, gladly used them for food.
No one knows how true this tradition is. However, it is known for sure that P. Parlerge, a young talented architect who developed the Charles Bridge project and led the process of its construction, put all his skills into it. The famous architect never engaged in the construction of crossings, and the beginning of work was preceded by many sketches. The construction of one of the main attractions of Prague required a lot of money, and the whole kingdom collected money. The construction was completed at the beginning of the 15th century.
Description of an architectural masterpiece
The new building, which allows crossing a stormy river from one part of the city to another, turned out to be higher and wider than the previous one. The length of the massive structure, the canvas of which is supported by 16 supporting arches, is 516 meters and a width of 9.5 meters. The first tower is immediately erected, and from it there are supporting supports installed at the bottom of the river and going into the ground only a few meters. Two sites appear near the arch: convicts were executed on one, and their bodies were dumped in the river, and a wooden cross was installed on the other, where people could pray before death.
At the entrance to Charles Bridge, a small gate was built, in front of which they dug a huge moat and threw a wooden floor. Illuminated by oil lamps, they were closed at night, and in the XVII century a guardhouse appeared nearby, which stood for almost two hundred years.
Numerous reconstructions
Initially, the architectural masterpiece was called "Prague", and only in 1870 it was renamed in honor of the founding king. Charles Bridge, passing through tests by natural elements, repeatedly changed its appearance. Before the war with the Swedes in 1648, he stood unchanged. After the battles, part of the attraction collapsed, having lost many of its jewelry, and it had to be restored again. In 1890, the city experienced a terrible flood, after which a large-scale reconstruction of the medieval crossing was required. Once, the authorities even launched a tram over the bridge, but soon thought better of it and made it completely pedestrian. In the middle of the last century, a major overhaul of the business card of the Czech capital began, and some supports were reinforced with granite.
For more than five centuries, Charles Bridge, a photo of which even now enthrall travelers, has remained the only structure linking the two banks of the deep Vltava. Only in the 30s of the XIX century the construction of other crossings began.
Two towers decorating an architectural monument
On both sides of this work of art, which played an important role in the history of the development of Prague, there are towers that appeared in different eras. From the side of the Old Town (Old Place) - Old Town Gothic tower, recognized as one of the most beautiful in Europe. It was built at the same time as the Charles Bridge, according to the project of Parleger, who conceived it as a symbolic triumphal arch. Under the building with a height of 47 meters, Czech rulers passed by, leaving for the coronation, which took place on the square of the same name. The gates of an important part of the city fortifications were closed with an iron lattice decorated with sculptural images, which rose and fell. And in the basement was a prison. Now there is an observation deck and a gallery.
From Malaya Strana (Prague Castle), the entrance to the architectural landmark is blocked by two Malostrana towers, between which in the 15th century a beautiful gate was built in the Gothic style. Two buildings of different heights are open to the public. In addition, they host an exhibition of alchemists, working from mid-spring to late autumn.
Sculpture gallery
Since 1683, the Gothic Charles Bridge in Prague, whose photo excites the imagination of impressionable tourists, is surrounded by stone statues and bas-reliefs. In total, 30 statues of saints are located on it, and a story is associated with each image. Only one figure is cast in bronze, and all the others are made of stone, including marble. The sculpture gallery, created by brilliant Bohemian authors, is of great interest to foreign guests.
The oldest monument is the statue of Jan Nepomutsky, who was thrown from a bridge into the stormy Vltava and who suffered martyrdom. They say that as soon as the head of the saint, who did not reveal the secret of the confession of the king’s wife, disappeared under dark water, five bright stars lit up over the river.
The sculpture of Brunswick is not among the statues of one of the symbols of Prague, but is located behind its railing, on a high pedestal. The Czech prince, who fought fiercely against monsters, received a magic sword for his courage. As ancient legends say, ancient weapons rest in the supports of the crossing. The Late Gothic sculpture by an unknown author was destroyed by the Swedes, and only after 236 years it was cast again. The courageous knight, who is the main character of local legends, holds in his hands a shield with the coat of arms of the Old Town, which has made the image of the brave his symbol.
Wishful sculptures
Many tourists stroll along the Charles Bridge, where they make secret desires, touching one of the statues. However, few people know that the original sculptures have long been in the museum, and travelers see only copies of them. True, as vacationers admit, dreams are actually realized, and the "performers" of all fantasies are rubbed by their hands to a golden shine.
What surprises does the visiting card of Prague bring?
It is curious that the Charles Bridge in Prague surprises scientists even now. Recently, scuba divers exploring the underwater crossing have discovered a new layer of moss. Collected in the forest, it was laid between mill stones and gravel. It is assumed that the terrestrial plant was used as a packing mass filling all the cracks. However, there is an original version, according to which moss was planted for magical purposes.
Acquaintance with the Charles Bridge in Prague, which is one of the most beautiful in Europe, gives great pleasure to all guests who adore genuine works of art of the Middle Ages.