St. John of Nepomuk, Prague, Czech Republic
Posted by: vraatja
N 50° 04.020 E 014° 21.180
33U E 453696 N 5546280
Baroque statue of national saint of the Czech Republic, St. John of Nepomuk, at the entrance in the Cibulka Park at west outskirt of Prague.
Waymark Code: WMA89P
Location: Hlavní město Praha, Czechia
Date Posted: 12/01/2010
Views: 143
Baroque statue of St. John of Nepomuk with his traditional attributes on squared plinth set on three-part pedestal with volutes. In the centre of the pedestal is a cartouche with coat of arms of Bishop Leopold Thun, founder of the park. In the both sides of the pedestal are reliefs with scenes of John’s martyrdom. St. John of Nepomuk wears a canonical dress with biret on his head and holds crucifixus. The statue was placed here in 1818.
John of Nepomuk
He was born c1354 in the small town of Nepomuk in Bohemia (the Czech Republic) to a wealthy Christian family. He was sent to study Theology and Canon Law at the Universities of Prague and Padua. He was well connected with the wealthy nobility and in In 1393 he was made the vicar-general which brought him into close contact with royalty. The ruling monarch was the Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor (aka Wenceslas) who was also the King of Bohemia (February 26, 1361 – August 16, 1419). Saint John Nepomuk became the confessor of the the fourth wife of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor. The name of the Empress was Elizabeth of Pomerania (1347–1393). Rather than reveal the confession of the Empress, at the command of the Emperor Charles IV, he allowed himself to be cast into the river Moldau from the bridge at Prague and died by drowning on March 20, 1393.
The figure of Saint John of Nepomuk is often encountered in Central and Eastern 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.
John of Nepomuk is seen by Catholics as a martyr to the cause of defending the Seal of the Confessional, by romantic nationalists as a Czech martyr to imperial interference, and by most historians as a victim of a late version of the inveterate investiture controversy between secular rulers and the Catholic hierarchy.
Associated Religion(s): Roman Catholic
Statue Location: at the entrance in the Cibulka Park at west outskirt of Prague
Entrance Fee: free
Artist: Václav Nedoma
Website: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Take a picture of the statue. A waymarker and/or GPSr is not required to be in the image but it doesn't hurt.