Klácelka is a man-made

cave A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

in a

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

near Liběchov,

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. Th ...

. It is known for its complex of

sculptural Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable s ...

works made by sculptor Václav Levý. The name of the cave and the sculptures commemorate

František Klácel František Matouš Klácel (April 8, 1808, Česká Třebová, Bohemia – March 17, 1882, Belle Plaine, Iowa, US) was a Czech author, philosopher, pedagogue, and journalist. Since 1827 he was an Augustinian friar in Brno, co-brother of Gregor ...

, a

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...

and philosopher. It was created during the 1840s. At the time of carving the Klácelka, Levý was an untutored young man. He chiseled from

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...

rock a cave that is an allegorical

Blaník Blaník (Czech: ) is a mountain in the Czech Republic near Louňovice pod Blaníkem. The hill and surrounding area is a nature reserve. The Blaník massif consists of two forested rocky hills, Great Blaník (638 m) and Small Blaník (580 m). Th ...

- a hall of sleeping heroes. These include the leader of the soldiers of the mythological army Zdeněk Zásmucký, the

Hussite The Hussites ( cs, Husité or ''Kališníci''; "Chalice People") were a Czech proto-Protestant Christian movement that followed the teachings of reformer Jan Hus, who became the best known representative of the Bohemian Reformation. The Hus ...

leaders Jan Žižka and Prokop Holý, the sleeping Blaník army, and the dwarf figures wielding weapons for them. The interior walls of the cave are festooned with

relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

s from the

fable Fable is a literary genre: a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are anthropomorphized, and that illustrates or leads to a particular mor ...

''Lišák Ferina'' by Klácel. The theme of Blaník, central to the Klácelka, harks back to

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

symbolism and the memory of the

Hussite Wars The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars or the Hussite Revolution, were a series of civil wars fought between the Hussites and the combined Catholic forces of Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, European monarchs loyal to the ...

, notwithstanding the

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

monarchy A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state for life or until abdication. The political legitimacy and authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutional monarchy ...

of the times. Klácelka is freely accessible along the blue tourist trail leading along the circuit from Liběchov via Želízy and Tupadly around another work by Václav Levý, the Devil's Head above Želízy. 2.5 km northwest of Želízy are also the reliefs of Harpist and Snake. File:Klacelka-Rytiri.JPG, Jan Žižka and Prokop Holý File:Klácelka - Blaník2.jpg, Zdeněk Zásmucký File:Klácelka - Blaník1.jpg, The dwarves forge weapons File:Klácelka1.jpg, The bat from Klácel's fable

References

*''The Klacelka In A Slavic Woodland'' by Stacey B. Day, Int. Foundation, N.Y. 2002. Monuments and memorials in the Czech Republic Stone sculptures 1840s sculptures Buildings and structures in the Central Bohemian Region Tourist attractions in the Central Bohemian Region Mělník District {{CzechRepublic-sculpture-stub