St. John of Nepomuk / Sv. Jan Nepomucký - Modletický dum (Slaný, Central Bohemia)
N 50° 13.802 E 014° 05.318
33U E 434997 N 5564604
Depicted Baroque statue of St. John of Nepomuk (Sv. Jan Nepomucký) decorates northern entrance portal of the Renaissance Modletický house (Modletický dum) in historic centre of Royal town Slaný.
Waymark Code: WMNMBZ
Location: Středočeský kraj, Czechia
Date Posted: 04/03/2015
Views: 36
Depicted Baroque statue of St. John of Nepomuk (Sv. Jan Nepomucký) decorates northern entrance portal of the Renaissance Modletický house (Modletický dum) in historic centre of Royal town Slaný.
Modletický House belongs among the best preserved Renaissance structures in town Slaný. The house with a Gothic core (cellars and basements) probably from the end of the 13th century was purchased by townsman Ondrej Antoš in 1518. His son, Václav, founded inhouse brewery here in 1536. House was rebuilt in the Renaissance style in 1578. Modletický House is two-storey building with corner oriel and beautiful Renaissance stone northern portal decorated by Baroque statues of St. John of Nepomuk with two putti. The portal also bears small shield with date 1578 and anchor-schaped letter "W" - symbolizing the owner and rebuilder of the house - Wenceslas (Václav) Antoš.
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]