When fame is what matters most, the famous London clock in the Elizabeth Tower of the Palace of Westminster (the seat of the British Parliament), which we all call… Big Ben clock – although it is just the name of the main bell – it tops the European rankings of notoriety. A well-deserved reputation since its launch in 1859; However, it is neither the oldest in activity nor the most surprising.
Yes this is the case of awesome Prague Astronomical ClockSince 1410, when it was the Kingdom of Bohemia that formed the Holy Roman Empire. In addition to being the oldest movement on the continent, it is multifaceted He combines knowledge, ingenuity and amazement For its aesthetics, design, technical accuracy, and abundance of chronological information, it has become A technological landmark in the Middle Ages.
People simply called it Orloj (the watch), and it is a powerful social and cultural symbol of being a public witness 615 years of the city’s life From its location in the Gothic tower of the Old Town Hall of the historic center (UNESCO World Heritage). Over centuries of constant movement its evolving anatomy has undergone repairs, maintenance, wear restorations, expansions and modifications.
What no one forgets and remains in the memory of the people of Prague is Destruction following the Nazi invasion. From its central position on the south side of the beautiful 69.5 meter high tower completed in 1381, it was the target of German artillery and incendiary bombs because the center of the uprising against the German occupiers was located in its basement.
In 1939, the forces of a neighboring country paraded or stood in front of the intact clock during a territorial invasion. “In May 1945, there was serious damage caused by the ground weapons of the Germans,” Christoph Zeeman, an official at the Museum of the Memory of the 20th Century, told PLACES. They tried to control the heroic rebellion of the people of Prague.
The east wing was destroyed and was never rebuilt. At the end of the second war, Restore this national treasure In 1948, I was once again amazed by its heritage value and the multiplicity of statements it presents in a visually attractive way due to the themes, colours, and craftsmanship and artistic details.
Pražský Orloj (in Czech) reigns between 8am and 11pm on Staré Mesto (Old Town) Square, and it is exciting to see tourists from all over the world waiting for the clock to strike to photograph those moments when a series of captivating mechanical actions systematically occur.
Of course, the wait is less long if you take the opportunity to see the intricate interior mechanism, the luxurious halls of the common building, the Church of the Virgin Mary, the Romanesque Gothic basement, admire the panoramic view from the dome, after climbing 408 steps, or take the elevator easier. Between April and December, the tower is open Monday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. The cost of admission is about 350 CZK (about 15 euros).
Between myths, inventions and art
For centuries, through legend, the authorship of the holy relics was attributed to a skilled watchmaker called Hanus Carolinum Such a fact is usually cited as true; However, they were creative Mikulash from Kadan The astronomer and scientist Jan Sindel In 1410. It is worth noting that this khanos took care of its maintenance for many years.
But since legends travel quickly and people love to unleash rumours, it is said that the city councilors of the time, fearing that Hanus (the alleged author) would – for cheap money – build a more important piece in another city, depriving Orlog of prominence, hired two ruffians to blind him with a hot iron.
Furthermore, it is said that even while deprived of vision, he was able to alter the mechanism as revenge, and was able to stop the stopwatch. This novel was published by writer Alois Jirasek in 1894 in his book Old Czech mythology. At the same time, there was no shortage of those who invented it as his assistant in the strict sense of the word, Jacob CzechHe put his arm between the gears to stop it and lost his hand.
Imagination aside, the primary component is an astrolabe-shaped astronomical quarter, like that used in the Middle Ages to navigate based on the positions of the stars. This piece measures time in gold numbers and reports the positions of the sun and moon against a background indicating the earth and sky including dawn and twilight. It also informs you about vintage Bohemia watches; Above the Roman numerals is a golden scorpion indicating the local time.
In contrast, every 60 minutes a procession takes place 12 Christian apostles It rotates in front of two small windows (6 in each) thanks to the coordinated gears. This happens when onlookers relieve the expected anxiety by filming cameras and cell phones.
Everyone looks forward to seeing how Christ’s disciples parade in their traditional guise: St. Paul with a book and a sword, St. Thomas with a spear, St. Simon (the patron saint of lumberjacks) with a saw, St. Peter with the keys to the gates of heaven… When the tour ends, the windows close, the golden rooster flaps its wings and the crows crow.
Likewise, as a result of the conjunction, two external figures guarding the upper sphere were created at the beginning of the fifteenth century by members of the Masonic lodge of masons and sculptors under the guidance of Peter Parler. One is a skeleton, holding an hourglass, holding a scythe, pulling a rope and ringing a bell. It symbolizes death, as if it means that time passes relentlessly. Next to him stands an allegory of lust, embodied by a man who looks like a Middle Eastern prince playing the mandolin.
While on the left of the quadrant appears the vanity of a person with a mirror, and the greed of a merchant carrying a bag of money or gold. Except for death, every representation shakes its head in denial.
Below is the circular calendar which was added in 1870 and takes a year to rotate. It contains a ring of medals designed and painted by the famous artist Joseph Maness (1820-1871), although the original is in the Prague Museum. These rounds symbolize the months related to agricultural activities, while the second ring displays images associated with the signs of the zodiac, which are located in a counterclockwise order.
Besides this ephemeris, in the 17th century, colorful sculptures were added to honor the member colleges of the Karlova University. The characters are the philosopher with scales and a scroll, the archangel Michael with a sword of fire, the astronomer with a telescope, and the historian with a book; The four are recognizable by their clothing and the items they carry, which symbolize astronomy, history, literature, philosophy, and theology.
In 2018, there was a failure to restore the original Manis calendar, which generated a great deal of controversy because it changed the basic creations. The news is that “Prague University of Chemistry and Technology is conducting tests on paints and the composition of different layers, and after that, the Academy of Fine Arts will create a sample of a medallion, which will be used to approve the artistic design and hold a meeting with experts,” City Council press officer Veit Hofmann informed Lugaris. It is estimated that the final replacement will take place between the end of 2027 and the beginning of 2028.
Naturally, the astronomical clock competes in its appeal with the huge Prague Castle, which reaches a height of 70,000 metres.2 (The largest on the planet according to Guinness Book of World Records) which includes St. Vitus Cathedral or the 516-meter-long Charles Bridge over the Vltava River, which includes 30 Baroque statues…
With all the wonderful things that these two main references of the country contain in one of the most beautiful major cities of the Old Continent.