The statue of Saint Wenceslas in

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

, Czech Republic depicts

Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia Wenceslaus I ( cs, Václav ; c. 907 – 28 September 935 or 929), Wenceslas I or ''Václav the Good'' was the Duke ('' kníže'') of Bohemia from 921 until his death, probably in 935. According to the legend, he was assassinated by his younger ...

. It is installed at

Wenceslas Square Wenceslas Square (Czech: , colloquially ''Václavák'' ) is one of the main city squares and the centre of the business and cultural communities in the New Town of Prague, Czech Republic. Many historical events occurred there, and it is a tradi ...

Description

The mounted saint was sculpted by

Josef Václav Myslbek Josef Václav Myslbek (20 June 1848 – 2 June 1922) was a Czech sculptor and medalist credited with founding the modern Czech sculpting style.Stech, V. V. Josef Vaclav Myslbek, Prague, 1954. Artia. Life Josef grew up poor in a suburb of Prague ...

in 1887–1924, and the image of Wenceslas is accompanied by other Czech patron saints carved into the ornate statue base:

Saint Ludmila Ludmila of Bohemia (c. 860 – 15 September 921) is a Czech saint and martyr venerated by the Orthodox and the Roman Catholics. She was born in Mělník as the daughter of the Sorbian prince Slavibor. Saint Ludmila was the grandmother ...

Saint Agnes of Bohemia Agnes of Bohemia, O.S.C. ( cs, Svatá Anežka Česká, 20 January 1211 – 2 March 1282), also known as Agnes of Prague, was a medieval Bohemian princess who opted for a life of charity, mortification of the flesh and piety over a life of luxury ...

, Saint Prokop, and

Saint Adalbert of Prague Adalbert of Prague ( la, Sanctus Adalbertus, cs, svatý Vojtěch, sk, svätý Vojtech, pl, święty Wojciech, hu, Szent Adalbert (Béla); 95623 April 997), known in the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia by his birth name Vojtěch ( la, Vo ...

. The statue base, designed by architect

Alois Dryák Alois Dryák (24 February 1872 in Olšany – 6 June 1932 in Prague) was a Czech architect and professor of ornamental design. Dryák is most famous for the design of the ornamental detail on Art Nouveau masterpieces such as the 1905 re-design ...

, includes the inscription: "Svatý Václave, vévodo české země, kníže náš, nedej zahynouti nám ni budoucím" (English: "Saint Wenceslas, duke of the Czech land, prince of ours, do not let perish us nor our descendants").

References

External links

* Equestrian statues in the Czech Republic Monuments and memorials in Prague Outdoor sculptures in Prague Sculptures of men in Prague

Wenceslas Wenceslaus, Wenceslas, Wenzeslaus and Wenzslaus (and other similar names) are Latinized forms of the Slavic names#In Slovakia and Czech_Republic, Czech name Václav. The other language versions of the name are german: Wenzel, pl, Wacław, Więces� ...

Statues in Prague Tourist attractions in Prague Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia New Town, Prague {{CzechRepublic-sculpture-stub