While the Charles Bridge has over 30 statues and statuaries, the most prominent is of Saint John of Nepomuk (or John Nepomucene). He was born in the 1340's and studied at the University of Prague and studied canon law at the University of Padua. He was named the vicar-general of Saint Giles Cathedral by Jan of Jenštejn (1348–1400), who was the Archbishop of Prague from 1378 to 1396. In the same year, on March 20, he was tortured and thrown into the river Vltava from Charles Bridge in Prague at the behest of King Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia.
The reason for his torture and drowning was that he refused to reveal the confession of the Kings wife. The King, Good King Wenceslaus (yup, that one!) believed his wife was having an affair and had confessed to Saint John. He ordered Saint John to reveal the confession. And, Saint John refused.
However, the legend has it that Saint John, after being thrown into the water from the bridge, was lifted into the air by 5 angels. Hence, the 5 stars in a crown around his statue.
This is the tower of the entrance to the Bridge from the East side of the river, where Old Town Prague sits.
The reason for his torture and drowning was that he refused to reveal the confession of the Kings wife. The King, Good King Wenceslaus (yup, that one!) believed his wife was having an affair and had confessed to Saint John. He ordered Saint John to reveal the confession. And, Saint John refused.
- In his chronicle Chronica regum Romanorum, completed in 1459, Thomas Ebendorfer (d. 1464) states that King Wenceslaus had drowned the confessor of his wife, indicated as Magister Jan, because he had stated that only the one who rules properly deserves the name of king and had refused to betray the seal of Confession. This is the first source to mention this refusal as the true motivation of the condemnation of John of Nepomuk.
- In his Instructions for the King, completed in 1471, Paul Zidek provides further details.[8] King Venceslaus was afraid that his wife had a lover. As she was used to confessing to Magister Jan, he ordered him to tell the name of the lover, but to no avail. Therefore, the king ordered John to be drowned. Note that in these chronicles neither the date of the events, nor the name of the queen is mentioned.
However, the legend has it that Saint John, after being thrown into the water from the bridge, was lifted into the air by 5 angels. Hence, the 5 stars in a crown around his statue.
This is the tower of the entrance to the Bridge from the East side of the river, where Old Town Prague sits.
No comments:
Post a Comment