St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague: A masterpiece of Gothic architecture

St. Vitus Cathedral, officially known as the “Cathedral of St. Vitus, Wenceslas and Wojtech”, rises majestically as the landmark of Prague, a symbol of pride and a national monument of the Czech Republic.

St. Vitus Cathedral is a landmark of Prague, a source of pride, and a national monument of the Czech Republic. It dominates the center of the third courtyard of Prague Castle and, thanks to its almost 100-meter height, is even clearly visible from the opposite bank of the Vltava River.

Historical Reference

The history of St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague It has very old roots; perhaps it even began before the construction of this building.

Before the ruling princes of the country began to forcibly impose Christianity at the end of the 9th century, the temple of Svyatovit stood on this site. The saint was a pagan war deity and was worshipped by the local population as their supreme god.

Since Christianity had taken root very poorly in the early years of the 10th century, Prince Wenceslaus resorted to a clever tactic: where he had previously had the temple of Svyatovit, he built the rotunda of St. Vitus. The logic behind such actions was as follows: they worshipped Svyatovit – they would begin to pray to St. Vitus.

Prince Wenceslaus, who was killed in 935, was buried in the rotunda of St. Vitus Church. Within a few years, he was canonized and became the first saint to be deeply venerated in the Czech Republic. The rotunda (13 meters in diameter), serving as St. Wenceslaus’s burial site, was redesigned and completed within the basilica between 1060 and 1096. In addition to St. Vitus and St. Wenceslaus, a new shrine was also dedicated to St. Wojtech.

King Charles IV of Luxembourg decided to erect a new, magnificent religious building on the site of the former rotunda and dreamed of making Prague the best city in Europe. Incidentally, the ruins of the walls and foundation of the rotunda are still preserved today.

The construction of St. Vitus Cathedral was not easy and lasted six centuries: it began in the mid-14th century and was not completed until the mid-20th century. During this time, many events occurred: the Hussite Wars, which prevented construction; a fire that destroyed part of the building; robbery and devastation; the Estates’ Revolt; artillery bombardment during the War of the Austrian Succession; and even a lightning strike that destroyed the dome of the bell tower.

The historical roots of St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague reach deep into the past and tell a fascinating story. Before Christian rulers began to forcefully impose Christianity in the 9th century, the Temple of Svyatovit, worshipped by the local population as their supreme deity, stood on this site. Prince Wenceslas cleverly seized the opportunity by replacing the Temple of Svyatovit with the Rotunda of St. Vitus. The logic behind this was simple: by worshipping Svyatovit, the people would gradually transition to St. Vitus.

The rotunda of St. Vitus housed the tomb of Prince Wenceslaus, who was killed in 935 and canonized in the following years. This rotunda was later rebuilt into a basilica between 1060 and 1096. It became not only the burial place of St. Vitus and Wenceslaus, but also the sanctuary of St. Wojtech.

King Charles IV of Luxembourg envisioned erecting a magnificent religious building on this site and making Prague the finest city in Europe. The remains of the rotunda survive to this day, and the construction of St. Vitus Cathedral spanned six centuries, from the mid-14th century to the mid-20th century. During this time, the structure witnessed numerous events, including the Hussite Wars, fires, looting, uprisings, artillery bombardment, and even a lightning strike that damaged the dome of the bell tower.

An impressive number of architects contributed to the realization of this architectural masterpiece, including Mathieu von Aras, Peter Parler, the sons of Peter Parler, Master Petrilk, Benedikt Reith, Wortslav Pesina, Joseph Kranner, Joseph Motzker and Camille Hilbert.

The architecture and exterior of St. Vitus Cathedral are breathtaking. Measuring 124 meters in length, with towers reaching heights of 82 to 96.5 meters, the building is imposing and impressive. It is advisable to approach the cathedral from the main entrance of Prague Castle, as its sight is unexpected and awe-inspiring. The cathedral’s facades are intricately designed, with stone spires that seem to form branches, leaves, and flowers. The chimera figures and gargoyles on the roof gutters lend the building a majestic and protective character.

The cathedral has three entrances on its west facade, the main entrance portal being adorned with bronze and featuring reliefs depicting the building’s history. The stained-glass rose window above the central portal is a truly impressive work of art, representing the creation of the world. Majestic twin towers rise on either side of the stained-glass window, flanking the main entrance.

The south facade of the cathedral houses the Golden Gate, a portal entered only by high-ranking priests on special solemn occasions. The gate received its name from the unique mosaic above the arches, crafted from gilded glass and multicolored smalt. Above the mosaic, one sees Jesus Christ carrying out the Last Judgment and the intercessors of the Bohemian lands pleading for mercy. It is an impressive work of art created by tireless craftsmen.

Another remarkable feature of the cathedral is the south bell tower, crowned by a radiant Bohemian lion. Inside are bells, including the Sigmund Bell, cast in the 16th century, which is considered the largest and heaviest bell in the Czech Republic. This bell is rung only on the most important holidays and special occasions.

The bell tower has a viewing platform at a height of 56 meters, accessible via a narrow spiral staircase. From here, there is a breathtaking panoramic view of Prague with its characteristic red tile roofs.

Inside the cathedral, the true splendor of this impressive building is revealed. The space is in the shape of a Latin cross, with 28 massive columns rising 33 meters high and enclosing 17 chapels. These chapels are small prayer rooms surrounding the main area. The cathedral’s exterior walls are lined with a triforium, which displays busts of monarchs, archbishops, and architects who contributed to its creation.

MAIN ALTAR AND MAUSOLEUM OF THE BOHEMIAN KINGS

In the eastern part of the building is the main altar, built in the 19th century according to the design of master craftsmen Kranner and Moker. The altar rests on a throne adorned with small sculptural portraits of Old Testament prophets.
In front of the altar, behind the Renaissance grille, is a white marble sarcophagus (1589, sculptor Molin), on whose lid relief portraits of Maximilian II, Ferdinand I, and Anna Jagiellonskaya are carved. This is only part of the tomb; most of the crypts are located in the dungeon, in the crypt.
Steps leading down to the crypt are located next to the Chapel of the Holy Cross. The crypt contains 16 burials; among other famous figures, Charles IV and his wives Wenceslaus IV and Rudolf II are interred here. The crypt also houses the preserved ruins of the Romanesque rotunda of St. Vitus Church in Prague.

ST. WENZEL CHAPEL

Above the crypt, where a 10th-century rotunda containing the tomb of Saint Wenceslaus once stood, they built a chapel. It is rightly considered a concentration of the finest masterpieces of Gothic art. The walls of the sanctuary are adorned with exquisite frescoes depicting scenes from the Bible and embellished with gold. The brilliance of 1,345 precious stones (agate, carnelian, amethyst, jasper, chalcedony), used in mosaics on the walls, serves as a symbol of the heavenly Jerusalem.
On the right wall of the chapel is the tomb of St. Wenceslaus and in the center his statue in battle armor.

Tombstone of Jan Nepomuk

The sarcophagus of St. John of Nepomuk is located next to the altar, but is clearly visible from the entrance. This unique monument was created at the beginning of the 18th century by the famous Viennese silversmith Fischer von Erlach. For his creation, which became a true masterpiece of Baroque art, the master used two tons of pure silver.
Opposite the gravestone is the chapel of St. John of Nepomuk.