Prague's oldest bridge - Charles Bridge [Karluv Most] - was commissioned in 1357 by Charles IV and for many centuries was the only link between the left and right banks [now known as the Old Town] and the Little Quarter. It stands in place of the Judith Bridge which was destroyed by floods. The car-free bridge is full of tourists at all times of the day and quietens down during the evening.
Today, it is best known for its dozens of statues; the majority of which were added in the 18th century. Originally, the bridge was decorated with wooden crosses with the first statue added in 1683 of St.John Nepomuk. The vicar general Jan Nepomucky was arrested in 1393 by Wenceslas IV for displeasing the king and he died under torture and his body was subsequently thrown from the bridge. Some of the statues are great works of art and many are copies of the originals now in the Lapidarium Museum.
Starting on the Old Town side of Charles Bridge, looking across to the castle you will pass under the Bridge Tower and the first figure on the left is:
[1] St Ivo - the patron saint of lawyers who receives a toast of beer from law students after their finals.
[2] The Madonna -Opposite St Ivo, with a kneeling St Bernard and cherub playing with the dice, cockerel and other features of Christ's Passion.
[3] - is St Barbara [with Saints Margaret and Elizabeth] whose beautiful hands entranced Kafka.
[4] - is the Madonna again - this time in more serious company of theologian St Thomas Aquinas and St Dominic, founder of his own order.
[5] - is a Pieta [a representation of the dead Christ mourned by angles, apostles, or holy women]
[6] - is a crucifixion at the place where the original bridge adornment [a simple crucifix] stood alone for 200 years. The gold inscription is Hebrew for "Holy, Holy, Holy Lord".
[7] - is Jesus' father, St Joseph
[8] - the Christ Child with Mary and St Anne, her mother
[9] - is the Jusuit missionary St Francix Xavier supported by converts.
[10] - is the Greek Saints Cyril and Methodius who Christianised the Slavs.
[11] - is St Christopher
[12] - is John the Baptist
[13] - is St Francis Borgia. St Wenceslas, Norbert and Sigismund
[14] - this is where Saint John Nepomuk was flung to his death marked by the bronze cross
[15] - is St Ludmills with the young Wenceslas
[16] - is St John Nepomuk himself
[17] - is St Francis the Seraphic
[18] - is St Anthony of Padua
[19] - is St Vincent Ferrer with the hermit St Procopius
[20] - is St Jude Thaddaeus holding a club [he is the patron saint of those in peril]. This could be useful because is the lantern on the house behind St Nicholas of Tolentino [21] goes out when you are passing, it is said you will die within the year.
[22] - is St Augustine
[23] - is St Luitgard, the blind nun is probably one of the best sculptures on the bridge
[24] - is St Cajetan
[25] - is St Adalbert
[26] - is St Philip Benitius
[27] - is the founders of the Trinitarian Order who rescued Christian captives
[28] - is St Vitus
[29] - is St Wenceslas
[30] - is St Cosma and St Damian who tended the sick
A poet once called the Charles Bridge "a ring on Prague's hand". Some people swear that they have heard the statues on the bridge talking to one another when all the tourists have gone! There is a legend that the builders of the bridge wanted it to be very durable so they asked every village around Prague to send a wagon of eggs to be added to the mortar. One village, afraid that the eggs would break, sent them hard boiled.
