Charles Bridge

Charles Bridge (Karlův most) is a stone bridge across the Vltava in Prague. It links the Old Town and the Lesser Town, running from Křižovnické Square to Mostecká Street.^[1] It is the oldest standing bridge across the Vltava in Prague.^[2] Until the mid-19th century it was the only bridge across the Vltava in Prague.^[3] The Royal Route crosses the bridge.^[2]*

Judith Bridge

On its site stood the Romanesque Judith Bridge, built in the second half of the 12th century and named after Judith of Thuringia, wife of King Vladislaus.^[2] It stood slightly further north, had 24 arches and was 514 m long and 7 m wide.^[1] It was damaged by a flood and removed in 1342.^[1] Surviving parts of Judith Bridge include the smaller of the Lesser Town Bridge Towers and a fragment known as Bradáč.^[2]

Construction

Construction began in 1357, in the reign of Charles IV. The laying of the foundation stone is usually dated to 9 July 1357.^[1][4] The Heritage Catalogue of the National Heritage Institute names Master Otto as the probable author of the design, followed by Peter Parler as head of construction.^[2] Pražský deník names the stonemason Master Otlín, who had previously worked on the bridge in Roudnice nad Labem, as the first builder.^[4] The bridge is built of sandstone blocks. The roadway is 515.76 m long and 9.4 to 9.6 m wide. Fifteen piers and two bank abutments are linked by 16 arches.^[1] It was originally called the Stone Bridge or Prague Bridge. The name Charles Bridge came into use around 1870, following an earlier suggestion by Karel Havlíček Borovský.^[2] The bridge was repaired after the floods of 1367, 1432, 1496, 1784 and 1890. The present staircase down to Kampa, designed by Josef Kranner, dates from 1844.^[2] It used to carry road traffic and is now reserved for pedestrians.^[2]

Towers and statues

The Old Town Bridge Tower stands on the Old Town bank, and the Judith Tower and the Lesser Town Bridge Tower on the Lesser Town bank.^[1] The bridge is lined with statues and sculptural groups of saints, partly Baroque and partly from the 19th century. Some of them have been replaced by 20th-century copies.^[2]

Heritage protection and repairs

Charles Bridge with its sculptural decoration is a national cultural monument and part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Centre of Prague.^[2] Under a city plan published in 2018, the repair of the arches was to begin with the fourteenth arch above Kampa and continue arch by arch for about 20 years. The repair of a single arch was estimated at 45 to 60 million crowns, and each of the roughly 66,000 stone blocks was to receive a record number.^[4]

Sources

1. Magistrát hl. m. Prahy (Praha virtuální)
2. Národní památkový ústav (Památkový katalog)
3. Městská část Praha 1
4. Pražský deník — 2018-02-06