Prague Orloj Astronomical Clock. Astronomical clock Orloj in Prague - famous chimes

The world-famous Prague chimes, or astronomical clock, is one of the symbols and, of course, the pride of Prague. Created at the very beginning of the 15th century, the Prague Astronomical Clock, or as the Czechs themselves call it, the orloj (Pražský orloj or Staroměstský orloj) is the oldest astronomical clock in the world still working.

The Prague Orloj is located on the south side of the Town Hall and consists of three parts: at the top of the astronomical clock there is a representation of the moving figures of the twelve apostles every hour, in the center there is an astronomical dial, and below it is a calendar dial. The Prague Astronomical Clock is a true miracle of technology; it accurately indicates the time, date, day of the week, astronomical cycles, the position of the Sun, phases of the Moon and holidays of the Christian calendar.

A little history

The oldest part of the Prague chimes is the astronomical dial and mechanical clock. They were created at the very beginning of the 15th century by the watchmaker Mikulas from Kadan and the mathematician-astronomer Jan Schindel, and the sculptural decorative elements were made by the masters of the famous Czech architect Petr Parler, who worked on the construction of such famous Prague landmarks as and. Initially, the Prague chimes did not work very well, they often broke down and were inoperative for a long time. At the end of the 15th century they were repaired by the watchmaker Jan Rouget, better known as Master Hanush. He also added the lower dial and the first moving figure to the Prague chimes. Obviously, that is why it was he who was considered the creator of the chimes for almost the next five centuries.

After the death of Master Hanusz and his assistant, due to the lack of experienced caretakers, the Prague chimes were repeatedly stopped and repaired. In the mid-17th century, during another renovation, a moon rotation system was added to the astronomical clock, demonstrating its phases, and additional wooden moving figures.

In the 18th century, being in critical condition, the Prague chimes practically did not work, and at the end of the century, during perestroika, they were going to be destroyed. The world-famous Prague landmark was saved by employees of the Prague Clementinum. They achieved repairs and were able to partially restore the clock's operation. At the same time, twelve figures of the apostles appeared at the top of the astronomical clock. A complete renovation of the Prague chimes was carried out only in the second half of the 19th century: all parts of the mechanism were restored, a chronometer was installed, the lower dial was painted and the figure of a rooster was added.

However, during the Second World War, the Prague chimes suffered perhaps the most serious damage in their centuries-old history. On May 8, 1945, the building of the Old Town Hall, in the tower of which the radio transmitter of the rebels of Prague was then located, was fired upon by German troops. The fire that broke out caused enormous damage to both the town hall and the astronomical clock - the figures of the twelve apostles and the lower dial were completely destroyed, and the astronomical dial was badly damaged. Fortunately, over the next three years, talented craftsmen were able to restore the Prague chimes. They restored the clock mechanism and started it again, created new figures and dials, and today the Prague chimes consist of ¾ of the original parts.

Light show on the façade of the Old Town Hall,
dedicated to the 600th anniversary of the Prague chimes

Researchers believe that the figure of a stone angel located at the top of the chimes and the carved stone images located around the astronomical dial are the work of sculptors from the workshop of Petr Parler, while the rest of the decor of the Prague chimes appeared much later. The sculptures decorating the Prague chimes were created over several centuries, they were restored and made anew, and now it is impossible to see the overall design in them. However, some things can still be interpreted accurately with a high degree of probability.

According to medieval ideas, any structure had to be protected from the influence of unfavorable supernatural forces, decorating it with various security elements. At the Prague Astronomical Clock, security functions are performed by basilisks, a rooster and an angel. Two basilisks, located on the sloping roof of the astronomical clock, are mythical creatures with a snake body, a bird's beak and wings that can turn both a person and an animal into stone with a glance. Another “amulet” located under the very roof of the Prague chimes is a gilded rooster, a symbol of courage, because it is with the first cry of the rooster that the dark forces that reign at night disappear. But the main fighter against the dark forces and, at the same time, the oldest statue of the astronomical clock is the stone angel in the upper part of the Prague Orloje.

The astronomical dial is an astrolabe driven by a clock mechanism. Moving across the colorful astronomical dial, which depicts the Earth and sky, is a ring with the signs of the zodiac, an outer ring with Arabic numerals, a ring with Roman numerals, indexes with the symbols of the Sun and Moon, as well as a pair of hour hands with a golden hand and a golden star at the ends. The diameter of the astronomical dial is more than two and a half meters.

How to determine modern time using the Prague chimes? Pay attention to the outer edge of the astronomical dial, there are gold Roman numerals on it, they show modern Central European time. However, unlike ordinary clocks, the Prague Astronomical Clock has two sequences of Roman numerals from I to XII, so the golden hand hand indicating modern time makes only one revolution around the dial per day. And there is no minute hand on the astronomical clock.

Along the edge of the astronomical dial there are stone sculptures of fictional and real creatures. It is believed that this carved stone decor was also created in the workshop of Peter Parler. Each of the creatures of this decor has its own meaning, and some of them have protective functions. You will see here a lion, a dog, a cat, a toad, gargoyles, a goblin and even a devil. Unfortunately, not all images have been completely preserved to this day, and some of them cannot be accurately identified.

On both sides of the astronomical dial of the Prague chimes there are moving allegorical figures. The leftmost figure is Vanity, looking at his reflection in the mirror. According to another interpretation, this figure depicts a magician looking through a mirror beyond the boundaries of the world of sensations. The second figure from the left with a bag of money in his hand is the personification of Stinginess. The first figure on the right is a human skeleton, this is Death, holding a bell and an hourglass. The skeleton is the very first moving figure of the Prague chimes; it appeared here back in the 15th century and illustrates a popular plot in the Middle Ages about the perishability of all things. The figure on the far right is a man in a turban holding a musical instrument in his hand. Usually called the Turk, he is considered a symbol of the sin of pleasure and earthly pleasures. However, it is problematic to accurately interpret all these figures, since they appeared on the Prague Astronomical Clock at different times.

Initially, the Prague chimes had only one dial - the astronomical one. The second, the calendar dial, appeared at the end of the 15th century. It is the bottom one in the astronomical clock and allows you to determine the current date, day of the week, non-working days and Christian holidays.

Unfortunately, the original calendar has not survived. The version of the dial that we see today was designed during the reconstruction of the astronomical clock in the second half of the 19th century, based on a surviving copy dating from the mid-17th century. The calendar was painted by the artist Josef Manes, which is why it is often called the Manes dial. However, during his work, Manes significantly deviated from the original artistic design of the dial; the master wanted to depict medieval Czech rural life on the calendar and, despite criticism and protests, did not abandon his plan. Very soon after Manes completed the work, it became clear that the painting was highly susceptible to weather conditions, and it was decided to store the original calendar dial of the chimes in the National Gallery and place a copy at the Old Town Hall. It was this dial that burned down in May 1945, and now on the Prague Astronomical Clock we see another copy of the calendar.

The diameter of the calendar dial exceeds two meters. The Prague Astronomical Clock calendar is made up of several discs: in the center of the inner gilded fixed disc is the coat of arms of Prague from the time of King Vladislaus II, around the coat of arms there is another gilded disc with the signs of the Zodiac and a series of twelve round medallions-pictures. They depict twelve months with scenes of rural life and corresponding events of the calendar year. For example, in January - the birth of a child, symbolizing the onset of a new year, and in October - the grape harvest. The next disk is copper, it is divided into 365 sectors, corresponding to the days of the year. At the very top of the calendar dial there is a tiny arrow showing the current day. Also on the copper disk are the names of Christian holidays and the names of the most important saints; the inscriptions of non-working days are made in red. Previously, the keeper of the Prague chimes manually turned the disks every day by one division. Nowadays, all disks except the central one, rotating clockwise, independently complete a full revolution in a year.

The calendar dial of the Prague chimes, like the astronomical one, is decorated with four allegorical figures: on the left - the Philosopher with a pen and a scroll and the Archangel Michael with wings, a shield, a staff and a sword, on the right - an Astronomer with a telescope in his hand and a Chronicler with a book.

Representation of moving figures

Every hour, a real medieval performance takes place at the Prague Astronomical Clock, attracting and bewitching crowds of tourists. In the small windows located on both sides of the stone angel, during the chiming clock, figures of the twelve apostles appear in pairs, alternately replacing each other. Each of the apostles holds in his hands his traditional attribute or symbol of his passion. The figures decorating the astronomical dial of the Prague chimes also begin to move during the movement of the apostles: the figure of Vanity turns his head from side to side and looks at himself in the mirror, the figure of Avarice shakes a bag of money, the figure of Death nods his head, turns over the hourglass and rings the bell, and the figure of the Turk shakes his head negatively. The performance ends with the crow of a rooster, and the chimes strike the next hour.

Legends of the Prague chimes

Of course, there are legends about the Prague chimes. The most beloved character of these legends is the figure of Death, which adorns the astronomical dial. They say that if the Czech state faces difficult times, then Death will definitely nod his head. They also say that every year on the day of their execution, June 21, the ghosts who were executed in the 17th century for participants come to the Prague chimes at midnight and check the accuracy of their movement: if the clock is running correctly, the lords remain calm for their homeland, but if the eagle faulty or inaccurate, the ghosts return to their resting place saddened.

But perhaps the most important belief about the Prague chimes is that if the clock does not stop, then great troubles will befall the Czech Republic. To prevent this from happening, the work of the Prague chimes is monitored by an expert council of the best watchmakers in Prague, and preventive inspections are carried out weekly.

How to get there:

Staroměstské náměstí, 1/4, Praha 1. The nearest station is Staroměstská (green line). The nearest stop (No. 17 and No. 18) with the same name is Staroměstská.

GPS coordinates: 50.086956N, 14.420639E

The incredible spectacle of the astronomical clock attracts many tourists. It can be seen every hour. At the signal of the skeleton-Death bell, the ancient chimes play a melody that sets in motion Vanity, Greed, Death and Lust, followed by a procession of 12 apostles.

The Old Town Astronomical Clock or Prague Astronomical Clock, Prague Orloj (Pražský orloj) is located on a tower completed in 1364. The height of the four-story tower with a bypass gallery and corner turrets is 69.5 m.

History of watch creation

The tower has always been a symbol of the city. In 1410, an astronomical clock was installed on it, created by the royal watchmaker Mikulas from Kadan and astronomer Jan Schindel, master of the University of Prague. Around 1490, this unique clock was repaired and added to by the master Hanush of Rosa. There had been nothing like this in Europe before that time.

Probably around 1659 the clock was supplemented with wooden polychrome figures. The allegories “Avarice,” “Fashion,” and “Voluptuousness” recall vices, while Archangel Michael with a shield and a fiery sword from the “Last Judgment” scene recalls one of the most important virtues - Justice. The astronomical clock consists of three parts located one above the other: the procession of the apostles, the dial of the astronomical clock and the calendar.

Every hour the apostles and Jesus Christ blessing them pass before the audience, every hour a skeleton ringing a bell reminds us that another hour of our earthly wandering has passed.

Clock design

The astronomical dial depicts the Earth as it was imagined by proponents of geocentrism, and the center of the dial indicates the geographical location of Prague. The surface of the dial depicts the universe - day, dawn, dusk and night. Three golden circles move around the sphere, representing the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, as well as the equator.

The calendar consists of a copper circle divided into two circular rings. In the inner ring there is a circle with twenty-four medallions made by the Czech artist Josef Manes in 1866 (copies are now there). Smaller medallions depict zodiac signs and seasons, while larger medallions depict scenes from the life of peasants.

It is noteworthy that, despite numerous repairs, the original design of the Old Town Astronomical Clock has been preserved.

How to get there

Take metro line A to Staroměstská station.

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Master Ganush explained what all this was for, talked about the movement of the Moon, Earth and Sun, and taught how to determine time and date. For a long time, people flocked to the clock to look at the unprecedented spectacle. The watchmakers were especially surprised. Master Ganush kept his word and created a clock that was not found in any city!

However, the watchmaker did not become proud, he continued to sit in his small room and draw new drawings, and his assistant excitedly told people that his master was preparing a new work that would be even better and more amazing than the Old Town Clock. The advisors of the Old Town found out about this, and this news worried them, they thought that Master Hanush was preparing a new clock for another city, they did not want the glory of the Prague Astronomical Clock to fade, and they began to think about how to prevent this from happening. Some suggested taking a written promise from the master not to make any more similar watches, others suggested taking a verbal promise from the master, but all this seemed insufficiently reliable to the advisers, until one of them said: “Why should we demand promises that we can’t hope for anyway? Do we want to have the best chimes in the world? Then you don’t have to take anything into account, but take advantage of the only opportunity to interfere with Master Hanush in his further work. We won’t do anything bad to him, the city will take care of him, even though he won’t work anymore.” Everyone was afraid of such a proposal, but that adviser convinced everyone.

And then one night, Master Ganush sat in his room, drawing drawings and was calm, not feeling the approach of danger. There was a knock on the door, the master was frightened by the sharp blows, and with senile steps he walked towards the door to bolt it, but did not have time. Two people with their faces covered burst into the room and knocked the master down; he hit his head on the table and lost consciousness.

The assistant who came in the morning found his master lying in a fever on the bed, the old man’s eyes were blindfolded, he was tossing about on the bed and asking to turn on the light. The frightened deputy hurried to ask neighbors if anyone knew what had happened that night. And the old man kept asking to turn on the light. They carefully removed the bandage and were horrified: they realized that the night visitors had deprived the master of his vision with a hot iron.

The news of what happened spread throughout Prague, the people demanded that the villains be punished, but they could not be found. The old master was between life and death for a long time, his drawings were covered with dust. The assistant was waiting for the master to speak to him, and the old man was still wondering who could punish him like that and for what. I thought that the living could not do this and assumed that these were dark forces. The master had nightmares, at night he screamed and suffered. The assistant took pity on the old man and told him about what they were whispering about in the city, that no one would look for the criminal, and that he was somewhere nearby. Master Ganush understood everything, he sat sad for several days, sometimes he got up in a fit of anger, took a saw or a preparation tool, then put it back in its place.

And one day, the emboldened master asked his assistant to take him to the chimes. The apprentice was delighted and thought that the master’s desire to live and work was returning. They walked across the square, people stopped respectfully and greeted Master Hanush. At that moment, several advisers came out of the town hall, but they quickly turned away and pretended that they had not noticed the old man.

The watchmaker asked his assistant to take him to the fourth, most difficult part of the chimes. It was very difficult for him to climb the narrow stairs, he could hardly stand on his feet and tried to catch his breath. When he had rested, he froze in silence, listened carefully to the quiet voice of the mechanism, and it even seemed to the assistant that the master faintly smiled and turned pink. Then he suddenly frowned, and later the assistant recalled that just at that moment the bell sounded when death was taken for him.

Old Town Orloj, or Prague Orloj, is a mysterious medieval astronomical clock that is located on the south side of the Old Town Hall in Prague. The first written mention of them dates back to October 9, 1410.

There are many legends associated with this watch. The most famous legend tells a sad story masters Ganush, who created the eagle. To prevent him from building the same wonderful clock for another city, a group of people hired by town hall workers broke into his house at night. The bandits blinded him with hot iron pins. Master Ganush guessed whose hands it was. So he ordered his assistant to lead him to the inside of the clock. As revenge, the master stopped the clock. For the next hundred years, no one could start this unique and very complex mechanism again.

What does the Prague Eagle consist of?

The most striking elements of the watch are astronomical dial And calendar board under him. On the dial you can calculate time, astronomical cycles, the position of the Sun and the constellation through which it passes, the position of the Moon in the sky, its phases and position relative to the Sun. The calendar board shows the current month, day, and immutable holidays of the Christian calendar. Above the dial there are two windows in which the clock moves every hour. figurines of the apostles. In addition, the eagle is decorated with figures on the sides, a bust of an angel between the windows of the apostles and a crowing rooster at the very top.

The operation of the clock, astronomical and calendar boards, the movement of the apostles and figures is ensured by a clock mechanism, which over time has been repaired and improved several times.

A Brief History of the Astronomical Clock in Prague

Already in 1402, an astronomical clock was installed on the tower. In 1410, when he was a watchmaker Mikulas from Kadani, most likely in collaboration with the astronomer Jan Ondřeev, nicknamed Schindel, he established the modern eagle. Around 1470, the architectural and sculptural design of the clock was supplemented, and in 1490, the eagle was improved by a talented watchmaker, master Ganush. At that time, craftsmen were called craftsmen in the Old Czech language.

In the second half of the 16th century, the clock was modified Jan Taborsky. The following additions were made during the 17th to 19th centuries. During major repairs in 1865 - 1866. A new pictorial calendar board from a famous artist was attached to the eagle. It depicts the symbols of the zodiacs, the moon and the coat of arms of the Old Town of Prague. On May 8, 1945, at the end of World War II, the eagle was seriously damaged during the Prague Uprising. Its renewal required a complete reconstruction.

Despite the damage, the Old Town Eagle is the best preserved medieval clock in the world. It has rightfully become one of the most famous tourist attractions in Prague. The clock is part of the historical city center, listed as a UNESCO cultural heritage site in the Czech Republic.

What do the figures on the Prague astronomical clock mean?

12 apostles

Every hour during the daytime, two windows above the clock face appear. 12 apostles. Each of them has its own distinctive attributes. Their appearance has nothing to do with time. The meaning of these figures is rather religious. They also serve to entertain passersby.

12 apostles (orloj.eu)

The modern statues of the 12 apostles were created after 1945 by a Czech sculptor and puppeteer Vojtech Sucharda. The previous figurines of the apostles burned down in the fire of the town hall in May 1945. It is not known exactly when the moving apostles appeared on Orloye for the first time, because the entire city archive also burned down. The windows were created in 1790, and the figures were most likely made in the early 19th century. Initially, they were hollow and moved along the windows, three figures raised their hands, twirled and nodded their heads.

Wooden statues

In addition to the apostles, on Orloy you can also see 9 interesting wooden sculptures, which also begin to move every hour.

So, above the windows with the apostles you can see golden cockerel (kohout), who ends the performance by singing. The figurine is actually gilded. The Cockerel was the last of the figures to be installed in Orloy in the 19th century.

IN top left row located figurine of a vain man (marnivec) who, while moving, examines his face in the mirror, and miser statue (lakomec) shaking a bag of money and a stick.

IN top right row you will see skeleton figure (smrtka), personifying death. When moving, the skeleton turns over the hourglass (measures life time) and rings the funeral bell, which is located in the turret above the eagle, by the cord. Close to death is Turk statue- a symbol of luxury.

IN bottom left row located statue of a philosopher (filosof) studying the world, and figurine of the Archangel Michael (anděl), which points to the hand at the top of the dial.

The dial is decorated with a large number of sculptures that are placed around its circumference. Here we will see a lion (the protector of all animals), next to a dog (a symbol of fidelity, vigilance). His neighbor is a snake with a Phrygian cap, where the cap means freedom, and the snake means sinfulness. This sculpture signifies purification and transformation from snake to human. The cat, another decorative element, is the keeper of treasures, and also a symbol of falsehood, a companion of magicians.

The image of masks at the top of the dial was supposed to scare away the natural elements. Gargoyles in gutters protect against excess moisture. We find another image of the devil in the form of a beast with big eyes under the astrolabe. The east and west of the dial are decorated with two figures: a shapeless face and a goblin. They are designed to protect against dark forces. On the sides of the dial there are large statues: the Miser, Vanity (Pride), Death, the Turk.

The Manes dial (pictured on the left, click on the photo to enlarge) has two disks. The gilded disk containing the coat of arms of Prague inside represents the constellations, the copper disk represents the days of the year. The paintings symbolize the cycle of the calendar: 12 sketches are 12 months (pictures of rural life in the Middle Ages).

The copper disk is divided into 365 day segments indicating the name of the saint revered on that day. Christian holidays are included in a broad circle. The red inscription indicates a day off. The dial is decorated with a grape vine - a symbol of joy and eternal life.

On its right side there are sculptures of a phoenix bird and a monkey. The first is a symbol of eternity, the cycle of life. The second is a symbol of sin, greed. The structure is “held” by a master and an apprentice. The sides of the dial are “populated” with the figures of the Chronicler, the Astronomer, the Archangel Michael and the Philosopher.

We watch the progress of the 12 apostles hourly. Some of them are not included in the gospel: St. Barnabas and Paul, which is why the Czechs call them “preachers” and not apostles. Every hour there is a big performance. At the top of the structure are the 12 apostles; Christ closes their course.

The skeleton (Death), turning over the hourglass, rings the bell and waves menacingly at the Turk (a hint that his death is approaching). He turns his head in denial. The Miser jingles his wallet. Archangel Michael punishes him. And only the Proud Man cares about his appearance: he admires the reflection in the mirror. The rooster completes the scene with its crow, foreshadowing the chimes that chime every hour of the day.

You will see the progress of the 12 apostles every hour from 9:00 to 21:00. There will be a lot of people in the square during these hours, but the spectacle is worth it. Get good seats early. The photo below is an example of the crowd watching the progress of the apostles, click on the photo to enlarge.

Be careful and vigilant, pickpockets can trade in such a crowd. Pickpocketing from tourists happens often; we wrote about this in the article “”.

You can take photos and videos on the square; you don’t need to pay for it. Don't forget to bring a camera or video camera.

As you go down the stairs of the observation deck, pay attention to the photographs telling the history of the tower and Orloy.

In the evening, you can see street performers performing on the square.

Not far from the clock is the Staromestska restaurace restaurant, which was recognized as the best in Prague. If you're hungry, don't miss the chance to try the best ones. The prices here are high, but it's worth it.

Sitting in a cafe near the chimes, leisurely spend a few minutes near this ancient and unique Prague landmark. And although the proverb says that “happy people don’t watch the clock,” let contemplation of the Prague Astronomical Clock make you happier.

We wish you interesting walks around Prague, and read our interesting articles about the Czech Republic ( links below).