The Devil's Column on Vyšehrad / Certuv sloup na Vyšehrade (Prague)
N 50° 03.860 E 014° 25.144
33U E 458422 N 5545944
An interesting and mysterious object in Vyšehrad fortress area in Prague is the Devil´s Column (In Czech: Certuv sloup) a strange formation of three ancient stone columns of obscure origin...
Waymark Code: WM6B2P
Location: Hlavní město Praha, Czechia
Date Posted: 05/06/2009
Views: 261
The Devil's Column on Vyšehrad is interesting and mysterious object - a strange formation of three stone columns of obscure origin. Here is several theories about its origin (column is mentioned firstly in medieval chronicles...) - that it was probably a part of the former Romanesque Basilica, but in recent time here are findings that column was used for measuring time in the era of first Slavic people in the Bohemian territory (5-7th century).
A medieval story says, that the devil threw these stones to Vyšehrad in anger, when he lost a bet with a priest. The priest said he can say Mass quicker than the devil can bring a column from Rome to Vyšehrad. Then he prayed to St. Peter and he helped him to win the bet.
The former main Prague's fortress - Vyšehrad was founded in the second half of the 10th century. Vyšehrad was the main seat of the Premysl Princes in the second half of the 11th century and the first half of the 12th century, when most construction of the site occurred. You can visit the valuable Romanesque rotunda of St. Martin from the 11th century, the oldest surviving building in Prague, the Gothic St. Peter and Paul Basilica, and the Vyšehrad Slavín Cemetery, used as the burial grounds for distinguished Czechs - including Karel Capek, Antonín Dvoráak, Alfons Mucha, and Bedrich Smetana, to name a few... Today this area is landscaped into a beautiful park with views of the river and an abundance of open space for recreational activities, a perfect place for a river view Sunday picnic.