Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Left
Holocaust wall, Pinkas Synagogue
Right
Monument, Cathedral of Sts Cyril and Methodius
Places of Worship
St Vitus's Cathedral
The current building,
looming over the castle complex
with majesty, is a combination of
architectural styles and took
more than 500 years to com-
plete. In days of old the cathedral
was the setting of spectacular
Bohemian coronations by
Prague's archbishops. It's also
the final resting place of the
saints Wenceslas, John of
Nepomuk and scores of other
Czech worthies
(see pp12-13)
.
Madonna, Church of Our Lady Before T†n
Loreto
At the heart of this elaborate
shrine to the Virgin Mary is the
Santa Casa - a reproduction of
the house where Mary received
the Angel Gabriel. The Loreto
treasury holds scores of price-
less monstrances as well as other
religious artifacts
(see pp20-21)
.
Old-New Synagogue
Prague's Orthdox Jewish
community still holds services in
this 700-year-old synagogue -
the oldest in Europe. The
building's curious name may
come from the Hebrew
Al-Tenai
,
meaning “with reservation .
Legend has it that its stones will
eventually have to be returned to
Jerusalem, from whence they
came
(see pp24-5)
.
Church of Our
Lady Before T†n
The Gothic towers of T†n loom
over Old Town Square's dainty
houses. During the Counter-
Reformation, the Jesuits melted
down the gold Hussite chalice
that stood between the towers
and recast it as the Madonna
seen today
(see p14)
.
d
Staro-
m∂stské nám∂stí 14 • Map M3 • Open
2-6pm Mon-Fri • Dis. access • Free
Church of our Lady
Victorious
Opposite Bernini's
Ecstasy of St
Teresa
in the nave is the famed
Infant Jesus of Prague. The wax
baby doll is credited with
miraculous powers. The resident
Order of English Virgins look
after the little man and change
his clothes
(see p83)
.
Virgin Mary statue, Loreto
38
