★★★★★ 5.0
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saint Wenceslas
Did you know this church is hiding a SECRET that's older than America itself? Right here at Saint Wenceslas, you're standing where wooden houses once crowded together until a MASSIVE fire in 1689 changed everything... that's like 335 years ago, or your whole life times THIRTY-THREE! Look up at those twisty baroque towers - they're actually YOUNGER than they look! The original Gothic church from the 1300s got a total makeover in 1711, like putting a fancy costume on an ancient building. Can you spot the stone face of Saint Wenceslas himself peeking down at you from above the door? He's been watching this street for over 300 years! Step inside and WOW - the ceiling stretches up 62 feet, that's taller than THREE giraffes standing on each other's heads! This church holds the record for having Prague's ONLY altar painting that survived Napoleon's army camping here in 1805... those soldiers used other churches' paintings as firewood - YIKES! Count the golden angels floating above - there are exactly seventeen, and legend says each one represents a child saved from the plague of
Did You Know?
- The equestrian statue of Saint Wenceslas in Wenceslas Square is not just a monument—it’s a popular meeting spot and a symbol of Czech statehood, featuring the saint on horseback surrounded by four other Czech patron saints; locals often say 'Let’s meet at the horse' when planning to gather here, blending daily life with centuries of history.
- Saint Wenceslas is credited with founding the Rotunda of St. Vitus at Prague Castle, which later became the foundation for the iconic St. Vitus Cathedral; this makes him a key figure in both the Christianization of Bohemia and the architectural heritage of Prague.
- According to legend, Wenceslas was such a virtuous ruler that he personally bought slaves to free them, tended vineyards at Prague Castle to make sacramental wine, and even destroyed pagan temples—stories that paint him as a 'monk on the throne' and inspire Czech children’s tales about kindness and justice.