18.Church of the Virgin Mary and Saint Charlemagne – Police Museum (kostel panny Marie a svatého Karla velikého – muzeum Policie)
At mount Charles – Mons Sancti Caroli – The highest point of the New Town of Prague, Charles IV. built a church in honor of St. Charlemagne(meaning Charles the Great; 2 April 742 – 28 January 814) and a monastery for the canons regular of St. Augustine. The octagonal church is an unusual layout that was built along the lines of the funeral chapel of Charlemagne in Aachen. On 18 September 1350 Charles IV personally laid the foundation stone for this church. He also dedicated to the reliquary at the same time apparentlyrare relics from Aachen – three preserved teeth of Charlemagne. The construction of the church lasted for 27 years. During the Hussite wars it was considerably damaged and after the Catholic victory, it was also dedicated to Mary.
Today the Church of Our Lady and St. Charlemagne has an especially unique central Gothic arch with a diameter of 22.8 m, which rests over the area without any central support.
The legend about builder
This vault is connected to the reputation of the builder, who drowned due to the unique proximity to the Vltava. When the work was done, the builder set fire to the scaffolding, which at the time was the common way to dismantle it. There was a thunderous roar, and all those present fled. The builder assumed that the dome collapsed and in the immediate emotional state he ended his own life. However, only a wooden ceilling and auxillery structures fell and the rest remains today. Despite many rumors, the fact remains that the extraordinary name of the builder is not preserved.
Picture of Virgin Mary
But the picture has been preserved from the late 17th century, which shows the pregnant Virgin Mary. This image is called the Virgin Mary Karlovska – protector of pregnant women and miraculous power has been attributed to this picture of the future mother. Women brought gifts to their guardian, but the original of this painting was later transferred to a nearby church of St. Appollinare.
It also worth mentioning that the original church painting – the fresco beneath the choir, portrayed Jan Zizka on horseback with a mace in his hand.
Signpost all monuments in Prague 2: Here
Police muzeum inside
The church adjoins the former Augustinian monastery where the cloister builders adjusted the symmetry of the central nave of the adjacent church. The building of this former convent is now a police museum. A visit here is recommended especially on Sunday afternoon, with the ongoing tour of the church.
The Church is open to visitors:
Every Sunday from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
A guided tour of the Chuch starts at 2:30 p.m.
The Park is open:
From 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. in summertime
From 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in wintertime
Muzeum open hours:
10:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m.
Phone:+420 224 923 619
e-mail:muzeum@mvcr.cz
Information about other programmes:
Phone:+420 224 922 183
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