Prague, The Charles Bridge by Edwin Kooren

About "Prague, The Charles Bridge"

by Edwin Kooren

About the artwork

Prague, Karluv Most
Charles Bridge (Czech: Karlův most) is a famous bridge over the Vltava (Moldau) River in Prague. The bridge is located in the Prague 1 district and connects the Old Town with the Malá Strana district.

In 1357, on July 9, at 5:31 am, King Charles IV laid the foundation stone. That time corresponds to the numerological palindrome 135797531. The previous bridge, the Judith Bridge from the 12th century, had collapsed in 1342. Until 1841, Charles Bridge was the main link between the Old Town and Prague Castle. Originally called the Stone Bridge (Kamenný most), the bridge became Charles Bridge in 1870.

The bridge is 516 meters long and almost 10 meters wide. The structure consists of 16 arches with ice guards. The story goes that through the mortar used for the bridge, protein was mixed to obtain greater strength. The bridge is protected by three towers, one of which is on the side of the Old City (the east side). This tower is sometimes considered the most beautiful Gothic structure in the world.

On the bridge there are 30 statues. Most are in the Baroque style and were placed between 1683 and 1714. Among the most famous statues are that of the priest and martyr John of Nepomuk and the statue group of the "cruel Turk". The original sandstone statues were so weathered over time that they were replaced with replicas. The originals can be seen in the local lapidary.

The pedestrian-only bridge, open since 1978, is one of... (wikipedia)