Statues - Hither & Thither

 

Description

The church is built in 1881-1885 after design by the architect Antonín Barvitius. The decorative elements are confined to the façade and consist of a ceramic relief in the tympanum above the main entrance, majolica tonda's above the side entrances, and statues in niches in the two towers.

Majolica's by Ludvík Šimek

Saint Wenceslas and angels in the tympanum. (c. 907 - 935), duke of Bohemia, raised as Christian by his grandmother, Saint Ludmila. He was murdered in 935 on his way to church. Patron saint of the Czech people and the Czech Republic (Wikipedia).
Left side entrance: b. agnes Svatá Anežka Česká / Saint Agnes of Bohemia or Agnes of Prague (1211-1282), Bohemian princess who opted for a life of charity and piety over a life of luxury and comfort. Although she was venerated soon after her death, she was not beatified and canonized for over 700 years (Wikipedia).	Right side entrance.: b. hroznata Blahoslavený Hroznata z Ovence / Blessed Hroznata of Ovence founded a monastery of the Premonstratensians on his estate in Teplá, and around 1200 a convent for Premonstratensian nuns in Chotěšov (Wikipedia).

Marble statues by Ceněk Vosmík

Left tower. Svatý Prokop / Saint Procopius St Procopius of Sázava (died March 25, 1053), Czech saint, founding abbot of Sázava near Prague (Wikipedia).

Right tower. Svatý Vojtĕch / St. Adalbert (c. 956 - 997), bishop of Prague and a missionary, was martyred in his efforts to convert the Baltic Prussians. Patron saint of Bohemia, Poland, Hungary and Prussia (Wikipedia)..

Artists

• Ludvík Šimek (1837-1886), Czech sculptor (Wikipedia).
  
• Čeněk Vosmík (Humpolec 1860 - Praha 1944) , Czech sculptor and restorer (Wikipedia).

Sources & Information

• Wikipedia, Kostel svatého Václava (Smíchov).
• Pragitecture, Basilica of Saint Wenceslas, Smíchov.
• 360 Virtual Prague, Basilica of Saint Wenceslas, Smíchov.

Tags

Location (N 50°4'24" - E 14°24'15") (Satellite view: Google Maps)

Your banner here? Click for information.