Prague, Czechia: The Former Seat of Holy Roman Empire Part 1


Being a born Catholic myself, the Holy Roman Empire has always caught my interest. So, it is natural for me to be fascinated by Rome and perhaps other cities that had been the capital of Roman Catholicism, including Prague. Furthermore, Central and Eastern Europe has become so interesting for me, especially how these countries where shaped by the Cold War and the two World Wars affecting Europe. These two reasons are the primary reason why I opted to visit the Czech Republic.
Czech Republic is composed of the historic territories of Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia. The Bohemian capital is Prague. This has become the capital of the Czech republic after the Great Moravian Empire lost power to the dynasties running Bohemia. Both Bohemia and Moravia have been in one or another subject to influence of the Germans and the Austrians, after the fall of the Holy Roman Empire. As a result, the unique cultural blend has made Prague one of the most popular tourist destination in Europe. And so I was motivated to visit several places in Prague.

This is the Part 1.  Click here for Part 2.

1.     Kostel sv. Ludmily


This is a Catholic church in the Square of Peace. This is a typical neo-Gothic building in the 19th century. This is dedicated for Saint Ludmila, the first Czech saint.

2.     Pomník svatého Václava


This is monument of Saint Wenceslas, the grandson of the Saint Ludmila. The statue is a great reminder of the Czech statehood and the effort to preserve the cultural and spiritual tradition of Czech Republic.


3.     Národní muzeum


The National musuem contains large collection of items from the area of natural history, history, arts and music. During my visit, the museum has been renovated, such that the beauty of the museum could not be appreciated.

4.     Čelakovského sady


This is the street alongside the National Museum. It is a dark ally during the night, where  some people stroll in.

5.     Václavské náměstí


This is recognized as the Horse Market or Wenceslas Market. This is the Prague’s cultural and economic center. This square, which connects the National Museum with the Old Town is a traditional place for demonstrations and mass gatherings.

6.     Na Přikopě


This is street where the headquarters of the Czech National Bank, old palaces and luxurious shops are located. This separates the Old Town’s Republic Square and the Wenceslas Square.

7.     Svatý Kříž


The Holy Cross is the universal symbol of Roman Catholic church. This shows the deep connection between State and Church, as exhibited in this square.

8.     Prašná brána


The Powder Tower is late Gothic building, next to the Municipal House. This is considered to be one of the major landmarks in Prague, since the gate provides access to the street forming the royal route towards the Prague Castle.

9.     Pomník mistra Jana Husa


This monument is erected in commemoration of Jan Hus, a labeled heretic by the Roman Catholic Church in his time. This is because Hus has fought for the Church’s Reformation, which led to the Protestant Reformation, spearheaded by his successors Luther, Calvin and Zwingli.

10.  Chrám svatého Mikuláše


The Church of St. Nicholas is a Baroque church in the Old Town Square. It was originally built using Gothic architecture but was rebuilt in the 17th century. During the socialist era, the church tower has been used as a watch tower for American and Yugoslavian embassies.

11.  Staroměstská radnice


The Old Town hown was established in the 13th century under the economic support provided by the King of Luxemburg. It consists of complex of several buildings adjacent to the Old Town Square.

12.  Chrám Matky Boží před Týnem


The Church of Our Lady before Tyn is the one of the most artistically important Prague churches. The Church has been controlled by the followers of Jan Hus for two centuries and thereafter began an era of recatholicisation in the late 16th century.

13.  Kostel sv. Jiljí


This is a Gothic Catholic Church at the Dominican Monastery in the Old Town of Prague. The church was also controlled during the Hussite wars and thereafter donated to the Dominican order, who built a large monastery.

14.  Kostel Nejsvětějšího Salvátora


The Church of St. Salvator is the largest temple of the Jesuits in Prague. The church is a reminder of the Jesuits influence in Bohemian history. The entrance of the church is facing the Charles Bridge.

15.  Karlův most


The Charles Bridge is the oldest bridge in Prague across the river Vltava and the second oldest in the Czech Republic. This has been used as major stop on the European trade routes and was considered part of the Royal route towards the Prague Castle. The bridge also played an important role in the history of Roman Catholic Church, such that many religious figures stand in the bridge.



16.  Kostel svatého Františka z Assisi


Thsi is a church near the square facing the Charles Bridge. It was built in Baroque style and was consecrated in the 16th century. A hospital and a convent used to be operational, next to the church.

17.  Česká filharmonie


The Rudolfinum is a Neo-classical building on the right bank of the river Vltava. It is the headquarter of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra,

18.  Josef Mánes


The Statue of Josef Manes is situated near the Rudolfinum. Manes is the represantive of the Czech Romanticism and was considered to be the founder of the personalities of the Czech visual arts and master of landscaping.

19.  Mánesův most


This is the tenth bridge over Vlatava Rive. The bridge was formerly the Rudolf Bridge, next to the Rudolfinum. The bridge was only finally completed during the First World War.

20.  Židovske muzeum v Praze


This is one of the most visited musuems in the Prague, housing a large collection of Jewish artifacts, books and rich archives. During the Nazi establishment of the German Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, the Jewish museum was maintained to created museum of a dwindling or near-to-extinction race.

21.  Červená


This is a street in between two Jewish synagogues near the Jewish museums. The street is famous due to the odd shaped of the buildings along the small alley.

22.  Kostel sv. Ducha


The Church of the Holy Spirit is another Gothic church built in 14th century. There used to be a Benedictine monastery nearby the church. This parish is considered instrumental in the conversion of the nearby Jewish communities to Catholicism.

23.  Právnická fakulta Univerzity Karlovy


The faculty of Law of Charles University is housed in a Neo-classical building near the Cech Bridge. The university was founded in the 13th century.

24.  Čechův most


This is the shortest of all bridges traversing the Vltava River. A tram line passes through the bridge. The sturdiness of the bridge withstanding increased traffic is due to its steel arches, considered to be the only bridge with such construction materials in Prague.

25.  Vltava


This is the considered to the national river of the Czech Republic, being the largest in country. This river traverses north across Bohemia, before merging with German river Elbe. There is a total of 18th bridges in Prague running through the river.

26.  Letenský profil


This is a natural monument located in the North region of Prague. Its rock formation provides a very good view of the entire city of Prague.

27.  Kramářova vila



This villa building is the residence of a well-known Czechoslovakian prime minister. Since 1998, this has become the official residence of the Prime Minister of Czech Republic.

Interestingly, Prague has many Catholic church but only about 10% of its population identify themselves as Catholics. This could be a result of a long history of socialist-communist rule in the area. This is quite a big contrast to Prague's rich history in the Holy Roman Empire and counteracting Protestant Reformation. This leaves me asking myself, are the churches in Prague mainly for tourism purposes, instead for religious objectives? Perhaps, you could give me the answer.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular This Week

Filipino Body Language

Image
Non-verbal communication is an essential part in a society, as well as understanding the values the community believe in. This reflects a good overview of how communication and tradition have evolved through time. These expressions are never constant, such that meaning changes from time to time, and is greatly affected by the events or the kind of environment one belongs in. Filipinos, being a society with mixed Asian and Western influences have unique facial and body expressions. These are the focus of this blogpost. 1. Silent stare Stares could mean evil look for Filipinos. It may indicate sarcasm or manipulation. It is considered rude to this, especially when in a conversation because it may also indicate disinterest or disrespect. 2. Lip/Eye pointing This is quiet funny gesture common not just in the rural areas, but also in urban communities. It is quiet hard to explain the direction in verbal language, so it is better to point them vaguely, interestingly with the use of lips,
Read more

Filipino Ethics: A Closer Look

Image
What seems to be correct in a Filipino perspective? Ethically speaking, where lies the boundary between what is right and wrong? As a Filipino myself, it is quite difficult for me to see that, because everything seems to be very subjective. Every Filipino could justify his or her action regardless of what it is. Nothing seems to be intolerable, and everything could explained as long as someone dares to do so. This makes the Filipino society chaotic and disorganized in a way. Nothing seems to be a standard way of evaluating actions and decisions. Ethical theories would not be sufficient even to explain the Filipino ethical standards. However in this blogpost, an attempt to put this relatively subjective threshold into an objective framework is to be made. Familiarity and consensus Change is something everyone of us would like to avoid. Filipinos takes risks when the available options are too few, but in general, most Filipinos would not want to change anything that is part of
Read more

Cebuano: The Language and The People

Image
Living in Norway for over 2 years, I have often encountered questions about the languages I speak. I usually answered I speak Norwegian, English and two Filipino languages. Then, people start asking if the second Filipino language is a dialect of the other. Given my mother tongue is Cebuano, the second language referred, I abruptly debunk the misconcept that it is a mere dialect. My most common explanation is that all Filipinos speak the Filipino language, but those who only learn to speak Filipino have difficult time understanding or communicating with one speaking Cebuano. Throughout the span of my childhood, I got to grasp the political and cultural differences of Filipinos speaking Filipino language or Tagalog as referred by most, and those coming from the Southern Philippines speaking Cebuano. The language in itself has become the boundary between the two groups of people. Due to their innate differences, misunderstandings result, not because of mere language confusion, but of cu
Read more

7 Reasons Why Many Filipinos are Good Singers

Image
One thing that makes me proud of being Filipino is that there are many good singers in our country. I am not saying that the Philippines has the best singers in the world, but it is obvious that many Filipinos have showed to the world the God-given talent they have. 1. Parents encourage their children to develop their singing talents Children singing old songs and acting as if the song fits them well. Love songs, rock, whatever genre songs maybe Filipino children can sing that. Some even report that children learn humming a melody before able to speak well. Ofcourse, parents are very crucial in the development of this talents. If a talent has been acknowledged at an early age, this provides time for child to improve his or her talent in singing. Watch the newly-launced TV show Voice Kids Philippines. 2. Competition helps produce more good singers The most-watched Television shows in the Philippines are singing competition. Most artists are discovered in these platform
Read more

Priorities Change Overtime

Image
Change is indeed the only constant in this world. Although not all of us are open to adapt to change, it happens continuously as if no one could control the change that is either happening in us or the environment surrounding us. With this stream of uncontrollable change is the changes on how we see our lives, and what values are more important to us, as we learn lessons from our experiences, which are brought about by these changes. We change and so our priorities as well. However, there are many things that should be put into consideration when one changes priorities. What happens to the old list of priorities? Are they simply replaced, or merely set aside? What does this change do to us in the long run? And are there instances when changes in setting priorities could be wrong or have gone to much? These questions will this blogpost attempt to shed light on. Change is not irreversible. Unlike butterflies, which can never go back to being cocoons, the change in our priorities
Read more

Shikata Ga Nai: New Perspective

Image
The first time I saw this phrase was in Facebook. It caught my eyes because it is associated with being negative but quite common and seemingly normalized. It intrigued me because it somehow compares to the Filipino saying, " Bahala na. " Literally, this Japanese phrase means "nothing can be done about it." This expression has contrasting themes, and this will be the focus of this blogpost. Have dignity in difficult times. Force majeure, a situation beyond our control. This is perhaps a tragedy, calamity or perhaps an accident, economic hardships, or just as simple as an end of a relationship. All of these situations are difficult to handle. However, even these are stress-provoking, we have to maintain dignity in ourselves. Even though one has little or no alternatives left, he or she is expected to accept and endure the pain or consequences in a dignified manner. For example, if one has budgeting deficits, one has to accept to work for long hours. So be
Read more

Quality of Life: Not Necessarily Happiness

Image
Everyone on this world aspires to achieve quality of life, a socio-political goal every nation attempts to achieve for its citizens. The concept is used usually to describe happiness, on which the so-called indicators or components of quality of life are utilized to measure happiness and even success. However, in this blogpost these two concepts will be differentiated as it seeks to enumerate the descriptions of quality of life and how it varies from happiness. Living longer and maintaining good health The physical well-being is perhaps one of the most influential aspect of the life of an individual. Suffering from ailments hinders one to achieve one's potential to do what he or she likes or needs. However, studies would indicate that being healthy does not guarantee one to be happy, as happiness is affected by different factors. Moreover, there exists sick people, who tends to claim that they are happy and contented inspite of their disabilities. Self-sufficiency and financial
Read more

10 Sociocultural Differences Between Norway and the Philippines

Image
Soon, I would mark my sixth year of living in Norway. It is difficult to sum up the past six years in few words. A lot of things I have experienced, and many people I have encountered. At least, I could say I have learned a lot during this period. However, what makes it more challenging for me as an immigrant in Norway is the contrast in cultures and social norms between my home country, the Philippines and Norway. Both countries were ranked high in different survey of happiness, depending on how happiness is defined on these surveys. And this concept of happiness is reflected in the norms in both countries. In this blogpost, I would enumerate ten of these cultural differences. 1.         Love for nature I could say that both Philippines and Norway have been blessed with beautiful landscapes. Philippines is known for its beaches, while Norway has fjords giving way to beautiful unique sceneries not found in other countries. However, there is a big difference betwee
Read more

Skagen, Denmark: Sun, Sand and Snow

Image
Being the Danish nation’s northernmost town, Skagen is known for the Skagen Odde peninsula located in the North Jutland Island. The town also houses the world largest fish oil factory. The sand and fish port factors make vacations to Skagen peninsula a very unique experience. This has been made more special during my visit in the winter season in February when spring pauses occur. Thus, my short trip became a combination of sun, snow and sand in Skagen. Skagen Fyr The Skagen Lighthouse was a reconstruction of the White Lighthouse, which is primarily used for exhibitions nowadays. This lighthouse has been useful in preventing invasion of the Danish capital Copenhagen by Western countries like the Great Britain. Grenen   This is Denmark’s northernmost tip where the North Sea and the Baltic Sea meet. Grenen literally means the branch, showcases a very beautiful landscape and sea horizon. Sandormen It is a wagon pulled by a tractor carrying peop
Read more

Debt of Gratitude: A Filipino Social Phenomenon

Image
"Scratch my back and I will scratch yours." - This describes the prevailing Filipino social phenomenon of debt of gratitude. It is an attempt of one to repay the other, who in the past had done something good or beneficial to him or her. This has been magnified by other social phenomena such as the continued emigration of Filipino workers outside the Philippines, such that remittances are actually in the form of payment to their families, as an expression of long-lasting debt of gratitude. This is just an example of how this phenomenon has shaped the Filipino society and culture. In this blogpost, an in-depth analysis will be made to showcase the advantages and disadvantages of this phenomena, as various concepts and ideas revolving around it are enumerated throughout the discussion. 1. It exists in any type of relationship; familial, working, spiritual and others. Because of man's social nature, there will be periods of self-sufficiency and vulnerability. During time
Read more