St. Vitus Cathedral rises above Prague watching over the city with its regal presence. Like all Gothic cathedrals, it is both spooky and magnificent. That these structures were ever conceived with their soaring above-the-heavens spires and interior naves, rose windows and flying buttresses, is a testimonial to the genius of man.
St. Vitus is much beloved by the local population, Catholic or not. Besides being a prestigious landmark, its history is richer than any cathedral of its kind. For one thing, it took 600 years to finish. Now that's a building with a history! The cornerstone was placed in 1344, but wars, plagues, political bickering and near bankruptcy prevented its completion until 1929. Oh, the stories these walls could tell! And, oh, the treasures they hold!
Three Hapsburg kings are buried here, as well as St. Vitus and St. Wenceslas. The stained glass window by Art Nouveau artist Alfons Mucha is a national treasure. I was most intrigued, however, by the pastel blocks of glass from the 1950's in the Wencelas Chapel. These beautiful modern windows shared space with frescoes from the 1500's.
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| Wenceslas Chapel |
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| Mucha Window |
While we were gawking at the altar, security guards came through the aisles. A man was protesting loudly in front of the silver tomb of St. John of Nepomuk (We couldn't understand what about.) The guards handcuffed him and literally dragged him away. Ah, Vitus, you are not a peaceful place. Never have been, and I suspect never will be.
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| Obelisk commemorating the independence of Czechoslovakia |
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