St. John of Nepomuk / Sv. Jan Nepomucký - Ceský Tešín (North Moravia) - Statues of Religious Figures on Waymarking.com

Depicted polychromed sandstone Baroque statue of St. John of Nepomuk (Sv. Jan Nepomucký) is located in recently reconstructed Masarykovy sady (Masaryk' Orchards public park) in Ceský Tešín.

Within the borders of Tešín in 18th and 19th century, a few sculptures of the most popular Baroque Catholic saint, a Czech martyr of the 14th century, St. john of Nepomuk were erected. One of them is located in Masarykovy sady and is not only the oldest sculpture in the park but also the oldest one in Cesky Tešín. It is a fine Baroque sandstone artwork dating back to the 18th century.

John of Nepomuk (1345–1393) is a national saint of the Czech Republic, who was drowned in the Vltava river at the behest of Wenceslaus, King of the Romans and King of Bohemia. Later accounts state that he was the confessor of the queen of Bohemia and refused to divulge the secrets of the confessional. On the basis of this account, John of Nepomuk is considered the first martyr of the Seal of the Confessional, a patron against calumnies and, because of the manner of his death, a protector from floods.

The statue of St. John of Nepomuk is often encountered in Central Europe, including the Czech Republic, Italy, Germany, Poland and Lithuania. He is usually portrayed with a halo of five stars, commemorating the stars that hovered over the Vltava River on the night of his murder. Other attributes useful to identify his pictures are: a priestly dress, the palm of martyrs, carrying a cross, an angel indicating silence by a finger over the lips. A statue of Saint John of Nepomuk has often been erected on bridges in many countries, such as on the Ponte Milvio in Rome.

[excerpted from Wikipedia]