Visitors

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Prague - St. Vitus Cathedral

The stained glass of St. Vitus Cathedral is incredible.  I took a lot of photos of the glass and put a link to the wikipedia entry so that you can read details of the glass artists (at the end of the blog post).  Some of the windows were stained glass, and one at least was done a little differently, perhaps painted.  There are close-ups of the work.

The guards pass by on their way to "the changing ceremony."



Beautiful and ornate front.

The front sign with many translations.
They are ready for tourists!


The windows were just beautiful and I've selected a few
of the photographs to show the different works.



The floor looks like it has been updated.

This window is my absolute "trip favorite."
The following photographs zoom in on several
areas so that you can see the detail work and
the beautiful colors.











Of course, I need to show you the organ and all of the pipes.
No one was playing it while we were there.

Statues


Gold gates for the private areas.
(paint or real, I'm not sure)

The woodwork was incredible.



Comfy cushioned pews.


There were several paintings but the artists
were listed in the area.




More stained glass windows.




The high ceilings were painted with scenes.

The rest of the photos are quick ones that I took as we
finished our tour. I did not want to be left behind, so
I had to keep moving.




The tomb of John of Nepomuk inside the cathedral
(wikipedia)


The Chapel of St. Wenceslas.
Relics of the saint are kept in here. The public did
not have access but could see through the doorways.
It was hard to photograph.  To add to the mystery,
a small door with seven locks leads to the Crown Chamber
containing the Bohemian Coronation Jewels.
Seven people with a unique key need to get together
to open the door.
Another view of the exterior



I haven't seen the window covering painted
like this in any of the other churches.
You think "I've seen one church, I've seen
them all."  I beg to differ. Each one has
had something unique to offer.

LINKS
Click here for widipedia info on St. Vitus Cathedral

1 comment:

Ginan said...

This really is a stunning church with beautiful stained glass windows.