SAINT-NICOLAS CHURCH IN MALÁ STRANA

It's a masterpiece! A true baroque manifesto, rich and complex. The ensemble, tower and dome, located in the axis of the Charles Bridge, compose with the horizontal of the castle a perfect balance.

The church is located where, centuries before, there was a small Gothic sanctuary. It was built in the first half of the 18th century. To save space, it was necessary to raze almost a dozen bourgeois houses, destroy two streets, a parish and a school. King Leopold II laid his foundation stone in 1673. The plans are the work of Dientzenhofer and Lurago, who built the tower. The church brings together and marries ingeniously all the elements of a Baroque symphony: curves, counter curves, gildings, trompe-l'oeil, marbles... A great moment of jubilation. Its main façade, very dynamic, decorated with a statue of Saint Augustine by J. Kohl (1684), is particularly impressive. The interior is also a marvel of baroque composition. The decoration is the work of important artists.

Inside, a magnificent trompe l'oeil fresco covers the ceiling. Representing the life of Saint Nicholas, it covers an incredible area of almost 1,500 m² and is the work of Jan Lukáš Kracker, the Austrian painter. The dome of the tower was decorated by François Xavier Balko who painted a fresco in a style that already opens the way to the rococo. It was Ignác Platzer and his workshop who worked on the fifty or so statues (notably that of Saint Nicholas, gilded, on the main altar). The pink artificial marble covering the columns and walls adds to the rich appearance of the interior of this magnificent building. On the left, the altar dedicated to the Virgin is decorated with a Gothic statuette, a Black Virgin. The paintings are copies made from originals by P. -P. Rubens kept at the National Gallery in Prague. During the visit, don't miss climbing up to the bell tower to enjoy the superb view of the city: you never get tired of following the tramway ballet winding through the winding streets of Mala Strana, the flow of tourists on the Charles Bridge, the boat tours on the Vltava River and the tiled roofs in all directions! In the late afternoon around 5pm, you may have the chance to attend a concert. Particularly moving, Mozart's Requiem was performed in this church for the first time, fifteen days after the composer's death.