Welcome to the summer!
This year has brought us all some changes, surprises and challenges. I believe that you have made good use of them, and that you will come out of the turmoil stronger, wiser and more conscious.
However, nature does not read newspapers (nor the internet), and despite the turbulences in the human world, spring has come anyway, followed by – just now – summer.
The mystery of Prague also continues. The city breathed a sigh of relief having much less fumes, noise and haste, and now, rested and relaxed, is ready to vibrate its energy. And, it is waiting for you, and so am I 😊
For several weeks, with caution and security measures, many facilities have opened their doors to visitors. Most of the museums, galleries, cafes and restaurants are already open. There are already a lot of people in the streets, mostly residents of Prague and the Czech Republic. The borders of the country have been open for a week already – so you can already plan a visit to the city of magic and alchemy.
Today, on the occasion of a special moment in the summer solstice (this year it is extraordinary, because it is accompanied by a sun eclipse and a new moon), and to encourage you to come over, I will tell you about one mystery that is taking place these days, which is a gift to all of us from the king Charles IV.
Everyone who has ever visited Prague could not miss the Charles Bridge nor the castle hill Hradčany with the cathedral towering on it. What do these two objects have in common? A lot. The construction of both was initiated by the same king and emperor, Charles IV (in the fourteenth century), both were co-designed by one of the most famous and most respected architects Petr Parler, both objects are dedicated to St. Vitus (not solely though), both contain rich symbolism of the cultural and political significance of the Kingdom of the Czech Crown, and of course both have become symbols of Prague and the Czech Republic. You’ve probably heard that all before. But not everyone knows that Charles IV was developing Prague with special attention to combine natural resources, technological knowledge, Christian tradition, mystical ideology and astronomy. The location, orientation and dates of setting up the various buildings were never accidental. On the contrary – they were picked deliberately to remind and point out to significant connections and events.
And in the case of the relation between the cathedral and the bridge (then the only permanent bridge in Prague) it is no different. On June 20-22, during the summer solstice, when the night is the shortest and the sun and light culminate above the Earth, we can witness a beautiful light show. Standing at sunset in front of the Old Town Bridge gate on the square (Křižovnické náměstí), you will see that the sun is setting behind the cathedral perched on the horizon, exactly behind the place where the remains of St. Vitus and St. Wenceslas are stored. If the weather is good, the dark silhouette of the cathedral will stand out from the golden semi-circle, which radiates across the sky behind the hill, turning into fabulous colours of pink, red, purple, blue … When the sun’s shield hides behind the holiest place of the cathedral (and one of the holiest places of the country) the light does not dazzle the eyes, you can fully enjoy the view.
This scene, so symbolic for the history of the Czech Republic and so beautiful, was immortalized by one of the most famous Czech artists, Alfons Mucha, on a series of first postage stamps of the newly created first Czechoslovak Republic in 1918 (the same artist is the author of one of the stained glass windows in the Prague cathedral).
The symbolism of the spectacle is complemented by the fact that the Old Town Bridge tower was built on the model of ancient Roman triumphal arches. It has been fulfilling such role of the imperial triumphal arch for centuries. The coronation processions of kings and emperors passed through this gate, then followed the magnificent bridge, towards the castle and ended the procession in the cathedral, which stands in a place that had been considered sacred even back in pagan times, and which has been also acknowledged as sacred by the Christian tradition. In the passage of the gate there is a stone copy of the crown of St. Wenceslas placed at the ceiling. In this way everyone who enters the bridge symbolically has this crown on his/her head for a moment, and symbolically asks the patron of Czechia, St. Wenceslas, for his protection.
Yesterday it was cloudy, but today the forecast is optimistic, so I am going to experience this spectacle in person. Are you coming as well? 😊
PS For current information related to the epidemiological situation, security measures and restrictions please visit the website of the Ministry of Health,: https://koronavirus.mzcr.cz/. Information is also provided by embassies and consular offices. Remember to always check the information “on both sides of the border” – as measures in the country of departure and in the country of destination may differ!
