Statue of St. Wenceslas
Description:
In the Czech Republic, two patron saints are Saint Wenceslas and Jan of Nepomuk. They can be found in many parts of the city, as the Czechs are very fond of their national defenders. On the main square of Prague there is a statue of St. Wenceslas, but the history of this monument is not as simple as it may seem.
Wenceslas Square, or as the townspeople call it themselves, is one of the largest squares in Europe. Many historical events took place at this place. Today in the center of the business and commercial center of Prague is a majestic statue of Prince Wenceslas, the holy patron saint of the country. The first statue here was installed at the beginning of the XVII century and it is strikingly different from today. The first monument is distinguished by poetic and ecclesiastical beauty, in which the leaders of the country saw a little more naivety than it should be for the central statue of the city. Therefore, the first Wenceslas was moved to Vyšehrad, and in its place, according to the project of Josef Vaclav Myslbek, a sculpture more consistent with the national character of the Czechs was installed. The modern sculpture is surrounded by four more saints - St. Ludmila, St. Agnes of the Czech Republic, St. Procopius and Adalbert of Prague. Saint Wenceslas himself sits on a horse, protectively lifting the banner above him.
The inscription on the pedestal reads: “Saint Wenceslas, Duke of the Czech land, our sovereign, do not let us or our children perish.” There is a legend that the saint sleeps under Mount Blahnik, and when the Czech Republic is in mortal danger, the king and his knights will wake up and go to battle.
