Saint Francis Borgia - Prague, Czech Republic
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ToRo61
N 50° 05.195 E 014° 24.635
33U E 457834 N 5548423
The sculpture of Saint Francis Borgia on the Charles Bridge
Waymark Code: WM16374
Location: Hlavní město Praha, Czechia
Date Posted: 04/24/2022
Views: 8
The Charles Bridge is one of the most famous historical monuments in Prague. The uniqueness of the medieval bridge is underlined by a set of 30 statues and sculptures, mostly from the Baroque period.
The motif of this puzzle is the sculpture of Saint Francis Borgia.
This statue was commissioned from Ferdinand Brokoff by the imperial Burgrave František z Colletu in 1710. The sculpture portrays St. Borgia, a Jesuit priest, with two angels.
"Saint Francis Borgia (Gandia 1510 - Rome 1572), 4th Duke of Gandia, Grandee of Spain, (Catalan: Francesc de Borja, Spanish: Francisco de Borja), Spanish Jesuit and third Superior General of the Society of Jesus. Canonized by Pope Clement X in 1670.
Sandstone statuary depicting St. Francis Borgia in a Jesuit vestment; two angels asymmetrically placed by both of his sides are holding a picture of the Virgin Mary and the Eucharist. The lower part of the pedestal shows the attributes of St. Francis Borgia - a helmet (he was a soldier), a ducal crown (he was a viceroy of Catalonia before he became a priest) and a scarlet hat (he declined the office of cardinal). The skull with a crown is to remind us of the ephemerality of this world. The upper part of the pedestal shows the emblem of the donator.
Donated by Franz of Collet, the imperial burgrave in the New Town of Vienna."
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