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St. Vitus Cathedral

Religious Center of Czech

The history of St. Vitus Cathedral dates back to the 10th century and the Gothic church building was built in 1344. It is now part of the Prague Castle complex. St. Vitus Cathedral is the center of faith in Czech and houses a large collection of relics and artifacts, with several monarchs buried here.

St. Vitus Cathedral (Metropolitní Katedrála Svatého Víta) is located in the Third Courtyard of Prague Castle and dates back to the 10th century. In 1344, a Magnificent Gothic Architecture replaced the original church as the center of faith in Czech.

St. Vitus Cathedral is a Roman Catholic metropolitan cathedral and the seat of the Archbishop of Prague. Its old entrance was the triple arch located on the south side of the church, often referred to as the Golden Gate because of the golden mosaic of Last Judgment on it. Today’s main entrance of the church is the Three Bronze Doors on the west facade of the building, which is engraved with the deeds of the Czech patron saints St. Wenceslaus and St. Adalbert.

Entering the 120-meter-long Nave, a cross-lined dome holds up the open interior, with more than 20 chapels. The Chapel of St. Wenceslaus, where the bones of the martyred saint St. Wenceslaus was buried, is decorated with 1,300 gems and numerous frescoes.

Manywhere Trivia:
Alfons Maria Mucha (1860-1939), a Czech painter and decorative artist, was a representative of the Art Nouveau movement. Although Mucha has many works in an aesthetic “girlish” style, and a middle name Maria, but he was actually a male artist.

Stained Glass in the Apse

St. Vitus Cathedral has numerous Stained Glass Windows, such as the rose window above the front door, the stained glass windows in the chapels and the choir windows behind the main altar, depicting scenes from different religious stories. The most famous one was created by Czech artist Alfons Mucha.

Several monarchs are buried in the catacombs of the church, including Charles IV and Rudolf II. The church is also the site of the coronation ceremonies of Czech kings and queens.