The astronomical clock in Prague is a legend. Prague Astronomical Clock, Prague Orloy

Prague is famous for many attractions. Including the oldest clock in the world that is still working. The medieval clock installed on the tower has been of particular interest for several centuries. By looking at the clock you can determine not only the exact time in Prague, but also Babylonian, Old Bohemian and sidereal time, as well as the phases of the Moon and the zodiac constellation. There's even a calendar dial that identifies weekdays, weekends, and religious holidays. Prague Astronomical Clock Orloy is an incredible achievement of medieval astrology.

Tourists come to Prague and always come to the Old Town Square to look at the figures that come to life and come out of the clock. This action takes place every hour, and on holidays they organize a real light show. All performances are performed in a medieval style, and this creates an incredible atmosphere in the square. The clock on Old Town Square constantly attracts a crowd of people, so you can even watch everything from a cafe. But you need to take into account that the menu here is expensive compared to other areas of Prague. Many tourists and local residents This is not the first time they have watched the clock work, but every time theatrical performance it arouses genuine interest in them.

In 1338 Old city received the right to build his own town hall. A building was purchased in the central square, and later the tower was completed. The main decoration of the tower was the astronomical clock, but it was not properly maintained. As a replacement, mechanical and astrological clocks were built by Orloy. The history of the Prague chimes begins in the 15th century. The clock in Prague was so well made by master Mikulas of Kadány according to the design of the famous mathematician and astronomer Schindel that it is now the oldest working clock.

But modern look The watch was not made immediately, but gradually by different masters. For example, the silhouette of Death was added only 80 years after the clock was established. The clock was repaired many times and improved, because local authorities did not always care about its condition.

And in the 18th century they even wanted to throw away the watch because they could not find a suitable craftsman who would undertake the repair of the watch. IN late XIX century, the artist painted the clock, and added another item - a rooster.

During the war, a shell hit the town hall and all the figures burned along with the wooden dial. But the clock was not thrown away, but repaired and left as a historical heritage of Prague culture. The watch restoration experts carried out such painstaking work that many parts were able to be completely restored. The entire mechanism remained as the creator intended, and changes were made only to decoration hours. Now the clock is closely monitored and the necessary repairs are carried out, because the Prague Astronomical Clock will forever remain in the history of Prague. And what would Old Town Square be like without a crowd of tourists?

The astronomical dial symbolizes the geocentric system of the world (although the opposite has already been proven), but the data is still accurate. And this rather serves as confirmation that society is constantly developing, science is becoming more advanced, but time does not stop, both in the 15th century and in the 21st.

Legend of Orloy

Along with its widespread popularity, Prague clocks are shrouded in secrets and legends. And Orloj is considered one of the most mysterious and mystical attractions of the capital of the Czech Republic - Prague. And this is not surprising, because in the Middle Ages science was not so developed that craftsmen could create such high-quality and correct astronomical clocks. And even more so, those that will work until our time. Therefore, the Czech people speculated on a possible outcome. According to legends, Orloy will stop working only when the state declines or before a war that will lead to the degradation of the nation. Czechs associate watches with own history, so they treat them with reverence. This coincidence or mystery still remains unsolved. The clock breaks during a difficult period in the Czech Republic.

Since the Middle Ages, Orla has been endowed with evil powers. The people of the 15th century can be understood, because alchemists, astrologers, scientists and prophets were involved during construction. And it was this category of people that was feared and endowed with evil powers. The common man of that time did not understand how a watch could provide so much accurate data without the help of outside forces. But even now this is controversial, because the clock not only shows the time, but also provides information about the astronomical cycle, the position of the Sun and the Moon. The scientist himself who developed the watch says that everyone sees and understands as much as they can. And he doesn’t need any other understanding.

There are also legends that the clock is a symbol of the Devil's eye, which counts down to the end of the world. There were legends that anyone who looked into this eye was doomed. Therefore, some church leaders were afraid to even look at Orloy. But these are just legends; there were people from universities who understood more than the exact time.

There is another legend that is associated with any person who damages the watch. Madness and damnation await these people. Many emphasize that even good changes in appearance will have serious consequences. After the artist painted the dial, his relatives claimed that he began to show signs of mental illness. There are legends that at the last stage of the disease the artist walked around Orloy with candles. These are just legends, but the value of the Orloj astrological clock in Prague remains unchanged.

One more interesting fact there are 12 animals around the dial. There is a lion at the top. In mythology, it is a protector and a symbol of valor. He is followed by other protectors or companions, and then by evil forces and at the very bottom a face with the personification of the Devil. And along with this world, people are displayed on the clock. Here is the Miser, and the Mage, and the Skeleton, and the Turk. People did not want to offend either the feelings of evil forces or living people. That's why everyone is shown here.

The sculpture of the archangels protects the Prague Orloj chimes from negative impact, because this could affect the entire Czech Republic. People in the Middle Ages were afraid of the clock on the town hall and attributed to it mystical signs, and now the Czechs are afraid of losing their symbol.

Theater performance

On the square, from 8:00 to 20:00, the Prague Astronomical Clock on Old Town Square begins its permanent theatrical performance, which has captured the hearts of several generations of people. The main theme that is played out is medieval history.

Start of the show

The bell of the Death sculpture rings and one by one the apostles begin to appear in special windows. The last one to appear in the window is Christ. After the main characters of the action have appeared before the audience, a new action begins on the side of the astronomical clock and calendar dial. New heroes begin to appear, which are characteristic only of Czech astronomical clocks. Then Death comes into play. She flips hourglass and gives a signal to Turk. He tries to resist Death with expressed indignation. At this point, the Miser takes out his wallet and flips it around to feel the coins. And appears main symbol punishment of sinners - an angel with a sword. The performance ends with the crow of a rooster.

Some tourists come here in search of secret meaning, others - to enjoy a vibrant performance. Unfortunately, the theatrical performance has already lost the sacred meaning that was originally intended, but this does not stop tourists. Now this is a vibrant performance with the participation of medieval figures and a huge Prague square. Therefore, the popularity of Prague chimes is not falling, but rather growing. After all, the astrological clock is constantly becoming more and more old.

Address on the map

Staroměstské náměstí

How to get there?

The Prague Astronomical Clock is located on Old Town Square.

There are several options to get to the square:

by metro to Staroměstská or Náměstí Republiky station;
by tram to any of the stops: Náměstí Republiky, Dlouhá třída, Jindřišská, Staroměstská, Právnická fakulta.

You can also get there on foot or by taxi, because the square is located in the center of the Old part of the city.

Working hours

Orloy operates every day, but the chimes can only be heard between 9:00 and 23:00. Especially exciting performance on holidays.

Old Town Square (Staromestske namesti) is undoubtedly one of the main, most beautiful and fabulous squares in Prague. Old Town Square is located in historical center Prague, on the Stare Mesto side. Due to its location, Old Town Square is also called Old Town Square.

Old Town Square is perhaps the largest square in old Prague. This place is quite piquant, and all thanks to the fact that the square contains a large number of attractions that, like a magnet, attract tourists from all over the world.

In addition to the mass of the main city attractions, the square itself is surrounded by city houses with facades some more beautiful than others, intertwining several architectural styles: Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo. All this together creates a fabulous view and festive atmosphere of the entire area.

The history of Old Town Square or Staromak, as it was also called, began in the 10th century. At that time it was the central market square, surrounded by taverns and inns. Gradually, the city began to grow around the square. During its existence, the area has been gifted rich history, even in ancient times, coronation processions took place on the square, as well as clashes of classes and executions. After the abolition of public executions, various fairs, holidays and festivities began to take place on the square.

To this day, an atmosphere of celebration and general fun reigns on the square. There are tents along the perimeter, from which there is a lively trade in souvenirs and. The street food tents give off a simply amazing smell of sweet trdeliki and smoked pork knee. It’s simply impossible to pass by and not try the delicacy.

A stage is set up in the center of the square and concerts are held.

You can take a horseback ride through the square and the old town. And street performers entertain honest people. All this together looks very interesting and exciting.

The main attraction of the square is the City Hall, towering and visible from many points of the old city, it is also called Old Town Hall/Staromestska radnice.

The Old Town Hall was built on the square in 1338 as the seat of city government and was initially called the City Hall; it was the first grandiose building on the square at that time. Afterwards, in 1410, an astronomical clock, the same famous Prague Orloy, was installed on the town hall. During its long existence, the town hall was restored and expanded many times. Nowadays you can still enjoy the oldest part of the town hall complex, this gothic tower with a bay window chapel and a unique astronomical clock.

It is on this town hall, the clock tower, that one of the most famous clocks in the world is located - Orloy astronomical clock/ Prazsky Orloj. Perhaps the Old Town Hall, together with the Orloj clock, is not only the main attraction of the square, but of the whole of Prague, if not the Czech Republic.

The Prague Orloj chimes are a very complex mechanism, the creation of which was once worked on by the best master watchmaker - Mikulas from Copenhagen. When creating the clock, Mikulas consulted the best mathematician and astronomer of his time, Jan Schindel. The most interesting thing is that the main legend surrounding this clock is not connected with its ancestor, but with a completely different master - Ganush, who subsequently modified the chimes. After his work, Hanusha was blinded by the city authorities so that he could never create the same clock for another city again.

The mechanism of the Orloy watch is considered very complex to this day, since on the watch you can see not only the time of day and the current date, but also the time of sunset and sunrise of the Moon and Sun, as well as the locations of all 12 signs of the zodiac and the position of the Earth relative to the Sun. These outstanding and beautiful-looking watches were made by masters of the 14th century.

For the entertainment of ordinary citizens, clocks were invented and installed characters, which moved to the sound of the clock striking, each playing their role. So the clock also turned into medieval theater. To this day, every hour (from 9.00 to 23.00), when the chimes strike, the figures on the clock come to life. In two windows above the clock dial you can see 12 apostles moving alternately.

In addition to the apostles, there are nine more figures on the clock, each playing their own role: the Skeleton (Czech Smertyushka) turns the clock over and rings, inviting you to follow him, the Arrogant Man looking at himself in the mirror, the Miser has a bag of money in his hands, the Turk (a symbol of pleasure and vice) negatively shakes the skeleton head, because he really doesn’t want to leave at the sign of Death. The whole performance is completed by a trumpeter who goes out onto the platform under the arches of the town hall and solemnly celebrates the onset of a new hour.

Thanks to this concert, every hour hundreds of tourists gather on Old Town Square under the Orloj clock, everyone eager to photograph or film such a breathtaking performance. All this, of course, must be seen with your own eyes. The video does not convey all the charm of the figurines’ concert, but the general atmosphere of delight and “celebration” is clearly visible:

At the very top of the Old Town Hall is located Observation deck, you can climb up to the platform and admire the beautiful panorama of the old town of Prague. Adult ticket 130 CZK, child, student and pensioner ticket - 80 KC.

The main dominant feature of the Old Town Square, after the Old Town Hall, naturally, is the two-tower Tynsky Temple. The true name of the Tyn Temple sounds like the Temple of the Virgin Mary before Tyn/Chram Matky Bozi pred Tynem. Tyn is a courtyard or Tyn courtyard located just behind the Old Town Square. Hence the name of the Temple of the Virgin Mary, which eventually became known as the Temple before Tyn or the Tyn Temple.

Two buildings of the Old Town Square - the City Hall and the Tyn Church, once emphasized the importance of the square, which, from just a market square, turned into a historically significant one, and in the 60s of the 20th century it became completely pedestrian.

Construction of the Tyn Temple began in 1365. The two asymmetrical towers of the temple, which became so after a strong fire, reach a height of 80 meters and are one of the main symbols of Prague. It is these two towers, as often as the Orloj clock, that can be seen on many postcards and magnets sold in the Czech Republic as souvenirs.

The entrance to the Temple was closed and photography was prohibited.

In the center, Old Town Square is decorated with a striking, huge bronze monument in Art Nouveau style, dedicated to national hero Czech Republic Jana Husa/Pomnik mistra Jana Husa.

The statue of Jan Hus is depicted standing in the center of the sculptural group. On both sides of Jan there are sculptures symbolizing the Hussites and emigrants. The statue of Jan Hus faces the Tyn Church.

To the right of the monument you can see beautiful building Rococo style, pastel pink tones. This is one of the most memorable buildings on the square - Kinsky Palace/Palac Kinskych. The palace was built in 1765 for Count Jan Armost Göltz. Currently, the Kinski Palace operates as Art Gallery. On some holidays, entry to the gallery is free.

On the opposite side of the monument and the palace is the famous and visited by tourists St. Nicholas Cathedral. This is one of the most famous Prague baroque churches and belongs to the most valuable buildings of this style north of the Alps. The dome of the temple with a diameter of 20 meters and an internal height of 49 meters is the highest in Prague.

Church of St. Nicholas (translated from Czech Temple of St. Nicholas/Chram sv. Mikulase), a majestic structure that no tourist passes by. By the way, the only temple, and in general a place in Prague, to which during our visit to the Czech Republic there was free entry; all other places have a paid entrance.

The temple displays luxurious decoration in the high baroque style. And the temple is decorated with one of the largest sculptures of St. Nicholas in Europe.

In the Church of St. Nicholas there is a unique organ from the 18th century, decorated with figures of angels. Concerts are held in the temple with the participation of this organ.

And the tall and beautiful vault of the Church of St. Nicholas is decorated with a unique crystal chandelier in the form of an imperial crown. The chandelier was donated to the Cathedral by Emperor Alexander II.

Against central entrance In the Cathedral of St. Nicholas there is a green area with benches for relaxation, around which several cafes with open terraces are concentrated.

P.S. The Old Town Square is beautiful in itself, and its attractions, so conveniently located in one place, are also the main ones in the city and are simply mesmerizing. We came to the square almost every day, but how could it be otherwise, because all paths lead through it, and we constantly admired it, as if for the first time, discovering something new for ourselves. We recommend everyone to visit this world-famous square.

How we travel cheap!

Discount hotels looking for it on Roomguru. He searches on many booking sites, including Booking, which makes it possible to compare prices and choose the best option

Chip flights looking for it on Aviasales. The search engine compares prices from dozens of airlines and displays the cheapest air tickets

Travel insurance look on Cherehapa, where you can compare prices from many insurance companies

Taxi/transfer we order on Kiwitaxi. The order can be made in advance via the Internet, which is convenient in “foreign” countries and cities. Arrives on time and meets you at the appointed place

Cheap train tickets in Europe search on RailEurope

Cheap bus tickets in Europe looking for on FlixBus

Last minute tours search on Level.travel

They rank third in the world. By the way, they are the oldest, but they are still active.

Oh, how beautiful the Prague Astronomical Clock is! Orloy consists of three basic elements, placed vertically on the tower. The masters equipped its central part with an astronomical dial, which shows Babylonian, Old Bohemian, modern (Central European) and sidereal time, moment of sunset and sunrise, moon phases, position heavenly bodies among the constellations in the zodiac circle.

On both sides of the astronomical clock there are figures that move every hour. Among them, the figurine of Death, made in the form of human skeleton. At the top, on the right and left sides of the stone central one, there are two windows, in which every hour, when the chimes are heard, statues of the 12 apostles appear alternately. Above the stone statue of a cherub is a golden rooster, which crows as the apostles complete their procession.

Under the astronomical dial there is a calendar dial, with which you can determine the month of the year, weekends, day of the week, as well as constant Christian holidays. Sculptural statues are also located to the right and left of it.

Privilege

The Prague Astronomical Clock is located on the tower of the Old Town building. In 1338, Emperor Jan of Luxembourg granted the population of the Old Town the privilege of having a personal town hall. After this, it was purchased for urban needs a private house from the merchant Volfin from Kamene. First, the building was rebuilt in accordance with the needs of the city council, and then in 1364 it was equipped with a tower. A clock was installed on it, which was first mentioned in 1402. However, due to careless maintenance, they soon had to be replaced, as a result of which Orloy was created.

So, we continue to further study the Prague Astronomical Clock. The dial is astronomical and mechanical watches are the oldest parts of Orloy, made in 1410. These elements were created by watchmaker Mikulas from Kadan based on a design by astronomer and mathematician Jan Schindel. The astronomical dial has sculptural decoration, which was made by the workshop of the famous Czech sculptor and architect Petr Parler. Orloy was first mentioned in a document dated October 9, 1410. In it, Mikuláš from Kadány is characterized as a renowned and recognized watchmaker who created the astrolabe chimes for the ancient site of Prague.

It is interesting that in this paper the City Council and the mayor reproach the craftsman Albert (the former keeper) for careless care of the previous clock and praise Mikolash for his outstanding work. The document also states that as a reward for his work, the professional received a house at the city Havel Gate, 3,000 Prague groschen one-time and an annual allowance of 600 groschen.

Historical mistake

The next documentary information about Orloy appeared in 1490. It was then that watchmaker Jan Rouge from Prague, known as Master Hanush, repaired the device, added the first moving statue of Death and a lower dial with a calendar. These impressive improvements and 80 years of oblivion of the first creators influenced the fact that it was Master Ganush who was considered the creator of Orloy for the next 450 years. The historical error was even reflected in the legend, according to which a member of the Prague Council ordered specialist Hanush to be blinded so that he could not repeat his work anywhere else. This information is especially widespread among intellectuals thanks to the writer Jirasek Alois, who added it to his “Czech Old Tales” (1894).

Jan Rouget probably had a son who helped him for many years. It was he who followed Orloy until 1530. This watchmaker has been compared to Jakub Cech, creator of the first portable Czech watch. Yakub did not have a student, and Orloy was left without decent care.

In 1552, Jan Taborsky was appointed to serve the Prague Astronomical Clock. He repaired and modernized the product and compiled a comprehensive technical manual for it. It is in this document that Jan Taborsky first incorrectly names Jan Ruže as the creator of the chimes. The error occurred due to incorrect interpretation of the records of that time. In 1962, it was corrected by the Czech astronomer and historian Zdenek Gorski, who studies the history of science.

Rescue of Orloy

In subsequent centuries, the Prague Astronomical Clock was stopped many times due to the lack of professional caretakers and was repaired a couple of times. In 1629 and 1659, the clock underwent repairs, during which its striking mechanism was moved from the tower downwards, and the figure of Death received wooden “companions”. During this renovation, a hidden, exclusive system for moving the Moon was created, showing its phases.

For decades, the Prague Astronomical Clock stood motionless. Prague in the 18th century did not pay attention to their critical condition. When craftsmen rebuilt the town hall in 1787, Orloy even wanted to be scrapped. The watch was saved from destruction by employees from Prague Clementinum: the head of the observatory, Professor Strnad Antonin, secured subsidies for repairs and, together with watchmaker Simon Landsperger, repaired them a little by 1791. In fact, he only managed to launch the clock device, and the astrolabe remained damaged.

During the same period, moving figurines of the apostles were added. A major overhaul of Orloy was carried out in 1865-1866: all parts of its mechanism were corrected, including the astrolabe, and a rooster figurine was added. It is known that then the artist Manes Joseph painted the lower calendar disk. And to control the accuracy of the movement, experts installed the Bozek Romuald chronometer.

Damage

Many craftsmen created the Prague Astronomical Clock. The Czech Republic is proud of this work of art. It is known that at the end of the Second World War, the clock suffered significant damage. In Prague in 1945, on May 5, an anti-Nazi riot broke out. There were fights everywhere in the city, and barricades were erected. Particularly stubborn clashes were observed in the center, near the Czech Radio building, which was captured by the rebels. The rebels, using a radio transmitter located on the tower of the Old Town Hall, transmitted appeals to the Czech people.

Units of the German Group of Forces "Center" were located in Prague. It was they who tried to suppress the uprising and interrupt radio broadcasting. German army shot at the Old Town Hall building from anti-aircraft guns with incendiary shells, as a result of which it caught fire on May 8, 1945. Then Orloy was badly damaged by fire: the astronomical disk fell down, and the calendar dial and wooden statues of the apostles burned down.

Recovery

It is known that by July 1, 1948, the chimes were reconstructed in full: the brothers Jindřich and Rudolf Vesecki repaired the broken and bent parts of the clock mechanism and reassembled it, and a wood specialist carved new figurines of the apostles. The last minor renovation of Orloy was carried out in 2005. Today, 3/4 of this creation consists of old parts.

Astronomical dial

Why do many people want to see the Prague Clock? The astronomical signs depicted on this masterpiece impress everyone. The Orloy dial is an astrolabe, powered by a clock system. Orloy reproduces the Ptolemaic geocentric structure of the world: the Earth is located in the center, around which the Moon and Sun revolve.

The following elements move along the stationary colored background of the astronomical disk depicting the sky and the Earth: the outer and zodiac rings, pointers with symbols of the Moon and the Sun and a pair of hour hands with a golden hand and an asterisk at the end. Unlike a simple clock, there is no hour hand.

Calendar dial

What else is Prague Astronomical Clock famous for? The Orloj calendar clock was first designed by Jan Rouge (Master Hanush) in 1490. It is known that the chimes initially consisted only of an astronomical dial. The first calendar disk, unfortunately, has not survived. Its current version was created by archivist K. J. Erben from Prague during the restoration of 1865-1866, based on a surviving copy of 1659, which was based on ancient engravings. In 1865-1866, the calendar disk was painted by the artist Manes Joseph. That is why it is often called the Manes dial.

Sculptural design of the chimes

We already know what the Prague Astronomical Clock is called. Orloy is their middle name. The sculptures decorating it were created over several centuries. That is why they do not have a single creative idea. It is believed that the stone carvings decorating the astronomical disk and the sculpture of an angel in the upper part of Orloy were made by the workshop of Peter Parlerz. The rest of the scenery appeared later.

From time to time, the clock sculptures were reconstructed, sometimes they were made anew, which erased their primary meaning. As a result, today it is very difficult to explain the significance of the architectural design of the chimes.

Supernatural powers

People with medieval thinking believed that any structure could be detrimentally influenced. Therefore, they decorated it at home with a variety of security details. Since Orloy is located on the facade of a secular building (it was not protected by temple space), the need for amulets increased. Thus, the upper part of the Prague masterpiece is protected by a rooster, basilisks and an angel.

On the sloping roof are mythical creatures- two basilisks that can turn all living things into stone with one glance. Each of them has two wings, a bird's beak, an arrow-shaped tail and a snake-like body. It is known that the basilisk gained fame thanks to the title of the snake king. The gilded rooster, an ancient symbol of vigilance and courage, welcoming the Sun and a new day, is placed under the very roof of the chimes. Beliefs say that it is with the first cry of this bird that the evil spirit that dominates the night disappears.

The central sculpture of the upper part of the clock is with wings. God's messenger holds a fluttering ribbon with a message that is impossible to read today. The angel is considered the most ancient statue rarity and is a persistent fighter against dark forces. It rests on a cornice, under which there is a completely unidentifiable stone band. Some say it's snakes, others say it's a scroll with an unknown text. On both sides of the angel figure there are two windows in which figurines of the 12 apostles appear hourly.

We hope you liked our article about the Prague Astronomical Clock, and you have a desire to see this masterpiece with your own eyes.

Old Town Hall (Staroměstská radnice).
Czech Republic, Prague. district Prague 1 – Stare Mesto (Praha 1 – Staré Město). Old Town Square 1.

Old city(Staré Mesto) located on the right bank of the Vltava River. It grew out of small settlements that arose at an important crossroads trade routes between west and east and along the banks of the Vltava in the 10th century. Under King Wenceslas 1, who built powerful fortress walls in 1232-1234, Old city received city license. But the official consent to the construction of a symbol of city power and the main meeting place of citizens, the City Hall, was Old Town have been waiting for more than 100 years.

In 1338 the townspeople Old Place a privilege was received from King John of Luxembourg (Johann of Luxembourg, also known as John (Jan) the Blind, Jan Lucemburský) for the construction of the Town Hall.

It arose as a result of the merger of several houses. The foundation was the Gothic house of the wealthy merchant Volfin from Kamene, which the settlement acquired in 1338. Immediately after it was founded Town Hall, construction began on a tower about 70 meters high. Its construction was completed in 1364. In 1381, a Gothic chapel was added to it.

To satisfy the administrative needs of a rapidly growing city, it was necessary to buy out neighboring city houses and annex them to Town Hall. The second house was purchased in 1360 - on the second floor it is decorated with a Renaissance window. Above the Renaissance window there is a Latin inscription: “Prag caput regni” (“Prague is the head of the empire”),reminiscent of the city’s brilliant past during the reign of the first Habsburg on the Czech throne – Ferdinand 1 (1526-1564). The next building, the house of the furrier Miksha, has a pseudo-Renaissance facade. The neighboring house - "At the Rooster", built in the style of classicism, was acquired after 1830, and its modern appearance Town Hall acquired only in 1896, when the last component became the “At the Minute” house protruding onto the square. Over the centuries it has turned into a structure amazing in its architectural sophistication.
The main attraction of the Town Hall is the Astronomical clock “Orloj” installed on the south side of the town hall tower. Built in 1410, the clock has been a symbol of Prague.

In 1784, four Prague cities were united and Town Hall became the main administrative body of the entire city.

During the Second World War, during the Prague Uprising on May 7-8, 1945, the buildings were heavily damaged. The archive, many portraits of mayors, burned down. The fire completely destroyed the neo-Gothic wing, damage was caused to the tower and chimes. There was only one small hall left, which was spared by the fire.

Old Town Hall was about three times modern (not everything was restored after the war). In our time Town Hall is a complex consisting of five houses. Each of the houses has its own character and is of historical and architectural value - the facades of the buildings are decorated with Renaissance elements, sculptures, unique paintings, and decorated with the city coat of arms and memorable inscriptions.
The richly decorated main portal leads to a vestibule with mosaics designed by Mikulas Aleš. The completely preserved old hall of councilors dates back to the 15th century, Big hall meetings - by 1879-1880.

Currently, anyone can climb the Town Hall tower, towering almost 70 meters above the city. The town hall tower offers a beautiful view of Old Town Square.
It is also possible to visit the Town Hall dungeons. In the second half of the 13th century, the ground level in the Old Town was raised due to floods. During a severe flood, water flooded the first floor of buildings and did not go away for a long time. Thanks to the rise in ground level, buildings from the 13th century have been preserved here. The first floors of 70 houses then went underground - they were connected and used as market warehouses on Old Town Square.

And only when the shopping areas moved to new part Prague, the square began to be used for socially important events: royal weddings, coronations. One of the most popular entertainments was execution. In the dungeons of the Town Hall they made a prison for prisoners awaiting execution. They did not stay here for more than a week, only while they were building the scaffold.

Prague Astronomical Clock

Prague Astronomical Clock (Pražský orloj).
Czech Republic, Prague. district Prague 1 – Stare Mesto (Praha 1 – Staré Město). Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí) 1/3.

Prague Astronomical Clock, or Orloj (Pražský orloj, Old Town Clock)- medieval tower clock installed on the southern wall of the Old Town Hall tower on Old Town Square in Prague.
Every hour from 8 am to 8 pm an action takes place in the spirit of the Middle Ages, when the apostles appear one after another in the upper windows and the final participant is Jesus. At the same time, a little lower, on the sides, the figures also begin to move. Moving objects symbolize human vices. Thus, the skeleton, which symbolizes death, turns over the clock and nods to the Turk, and the Turk shakes his head negatively. On the other side, the Miser shakes his wallet, and the Angel with the ball punishes him, being the embodiment of punishment for sinners. The end of the performance is marked by the crow of a rooster.

Orloy chimes (orloj is translated from Czech as “tower clock”) display quite a lot of information. In addition to the time itself, you can see the current date, the time of sunset and sunrise of the Moon and Sun, the current location of the Zodiac signs, even the position of the Earth relative to the Sun.

The oldest clock parts date back to 1410 and were made by watchmakers Mikulas Kadan and Jan Schindel. Jan Schindel was also a professor of mathematics and astronomy at Charles University. Around 1490, a calendar dial was added to the clock, and at the same time the façade of the clock was decorated with Gothic sculptures. Already in 1552, the clock was restored by watchmaker Jan Taborsky. Subsequently, the clock stopped many times, and moving figures were added in the 17th century. The figures of the apostles were added during the major renovation of 1865-1866.

During the Second World War Prague Astronomical Clock significant damage was caused on May 7 and May 8, 1945 during the suppression by German troops Czech underground, was fired upon, as a result of which a fire started. The most severely burned wooden sculptures of the apostles, which were restored by wood craftsman Vojtěch Sucharda in 1948 (Vojtěch Sucharda). The clock started working again only in 1948 after extensive repairs.

WITH Prague clock There are many legends associated with it. The most famous one tells about the fate of the master Ganush. Having completed his work, the famous watchmaker invited the city fathers to his workshop, located right there in the Town Hall tower. They really liked the updated chimes, but the thought that the master could make something similar for someone else filled them with horror. And then, by order of the Prague magistrate, Hanush was blinded. “So that there is no such miracle anywhere except Prague”, - read the verdict.
Legends say that Ganush took revenge on ungrateful officials. He entered the tower and disabled the unique clock mechanism. For almost 150 years, no one could fix the chimes, and those who tried died or went crazy. This time was the most difficult for the Czech Republic. The German crusaders defeated the troops of the Protestant Czechs, the independent Czech kingdom ceased to exist, the country fell under Austrian rule for almost 400 years, and Czech was banned for official use...

Prague residents have a belief: if the clock on the town hall stops, then troubles will befall the Czech Republic again. To prevent this from happening, the work of the chimes is monitored by an expert council of the best watchmakers under the capital's magistrate. And every week a preventive examination is carried out.


Town Hall Tower	Gothic style chapel

house at the minute		upper part of the Prague clock

Vanity and Stinginess	upper dial	Death and the Turk

Philosopher and Punishing Angel	lower dial	Astronomer and Chronicler

staircase to observation deck	for the lazy - elevator	on the observation deck

roofs of the Old Town	view of the Church of the Virgin Mary in front of Tyn	view of the house at the minute

Clock on Old Town Square in Prague, Prague Orloj - the astronomical clock installed on the southern wall of the Old Town Hall building is a popular and world-famous landmark of the capital of the Czech Republic.

History of construction and improvements

The clock in Prague on Old Town Square, whose history goes back more than 600 years, was first mentioned in chronicles in 1402, but already in 1410 it was replaced with a new mechanical one with an astrolabe, made by the Kadan master Mikulas. They were made according to the design of the astronomer J. Schindel.

In 1490, during repairs, the clock was improved: the calendar disks were completed, and Gothic figures were installed on the facade. The work was carried out by master Ganush.

IN next years restorations were carried out many more times, because due to the inexperience of the caretakers serving them, the chimes sometimes stopped on their own.

In 1552, the restoration of the clock mechanism was carried out by master J. Taborsky.

Further improvements were made in the 17th century, when the time-keeping mechanism was moved, some figures were installed, as well as moon phase indicators.

History of watch restoration

In 1778, the Prague authorities decided to dismantle the mechanism for scrap metal due to lack of funds for its repair. The savior of the chimes was the local watchmaker J. Landesberger, who in 1791 repaired them free of charge in order to preserve this landmark for subsequent generations. However, due to poor care, the astrolabe began to work poorly, and they could not repair it. More figures of the apostles were added to the mechanism.

In the middle of the 19th century, they wanted to dismantle the chimes again. The next saviors were watchmakers L. Heinz, C. Danek and R. Bozek, who raised funds for the reconstruction of the clock. During the restoration, R. Bozek made a chronometer, which still controls the movement (the clock is only 0.5 minutes behind per week, which is a good result). Since then, as now, repair work on Orloy’s mechanisms has been carried out by Heinz.

Since then, the clock in Prague on Old Town Square (photo below) has become a famous landmark of the capital of the Czech Republic. The craftsmen were able to restore almost 75% of the original parts of the clock mechanism.

Clock in Prague on Old Town Square: description

An astronomical clock consists of several parts, the main ones being:

astronomical disks, which determine the position of the Sun and Moon in the sky, showing some details of astronomy, have a zodiac ring;
“The Move of the Apostles” is a mechanism that every hour sets in motion moving mechanical figures of the apostles and characters;
a dial with medallions that works like a calendar and shows the months.

The astrolabe, using a clock mechanism, indicates the time according to several systems at once:

Babylonian, in which different time There are different hour lengths throughout the year;
Old Czech (Schwabacher numerals are used);
Central European - shows Roman numerals;
sidereal time (Arabic numerals).

Unlike other Prague chimes, the famous clock on Old Town Square in Prague does not translate into summer time, so for half of the year they show inaccurate time (they are an hour behind European time).

The calendar dial is decorated with 12 medallions, each of which represents scenes from rural life Middle Ages.

What does the astronomical clock show?

The clock on Old Town Square in Prague can be called a small planetarium that shows the state of the Universe. With the help of a mechanical astrolabe, although it was built in the Middle Ages, you can see the position of the Sun and Moon.

An image of the Earth (blue circle) and some part of the sky (top) represent the background. There are 4 moving parts rotating on the disks: the ring of zodiac signs and the outer ring, images of the Sun and Moon.

During the day the Sun moves on a blue background, and at night on a black background. At dawn and evening twilight - along the red background area. To the left of the horizon is written avrora (dawn) and ortus (sunrise), to the right - occasus (sunset) and crepusculum (twilight).

The Golden Sun moves around the circle of zodiac signs and shows with the help of an arrow and a gilded hand for a certain time:

when pointing to Roman numerals, local Prague time is visible;
the position of the luminary on the curved golden lines determines the Babylonian time;
on the outer ring the hand shows the hours that have passed since sunset according to the Old Bohemian reckoning;
the Moon moves along the ecliptic at greater speed, and the silver sphere shows the lunar phase.

Upper dial of Orloy

The clock on Old Town Square in Prague attracts the attention of tourists every hour (the performance takes place from 9.00 to 21.00).

The upper dial is astronomical; there are 4 figures on its side, which are located on both sides of the clock. These figures symbolize the despised vices of man:

death, reminiscent of the frailty of existence;
vanity, depicted by a figure with a mirror;
greed (Jew with a wallet);
Turk, symbolizing the centuries-old danger to the Habsburg Empire emanating from the Ottoman Empire.

At the top above the dial there are windows with doors in which figures alternately move. According to the movement of the Skeleton (Death), who pulls the rope, the apostles begin to appear in the window: St. Peter holds the key, St. Matthias threatens with an ax, St. Paul holds a book in his hands , St. John is a cup, St. Jakub is a spindle, St. Shimon is a saw, St. Tomas is a spear, St. Ondrej and Philip are holding crosses, St. Bartholomew is crumpling leather with his hands, St. Barnabas is holding a scroll, and St. Tadeus holds papers in a folder under his arm.

Lower dial of Orloy

The clock on Old Town Square in Prague also has a second dial - the zodiac (added in 1490), which is also decorated on both sides with figures: a chronicler, an angel, an astronomer and a philosopher.

In the outer black circle there is a movable round part with zodiac signs indicating the position of the Sun in the ecliptic. The signs are arranged and go in counterclockwise order. A small golden star indicates the spring equinox.

Using the zodiac dial, you can determine your zodiac sign, name day, day and month of birth. However, a copy of it hangs on the town hall, and the original (written by J. Manes in the 19th century) is exhibited in the Prague History Museum.

During the performance, all the figures and the 12 apostles move. At the same time, the Turk keeps shaking his head, and the miser shows his wallet. The finale of the entire performance is the crow of a cock, signaling the beginning of a new hour.

Legends about Orloy

One of the legends is associated with those times when the clock on Old Town Square (Prague, Czech Republic) was just being built. Master Ganush, who added a calendar dial to the chimes, so impressed the city authorities with his skill and beauty of work that they decided to deprive him of his sight so that in the future he would not be able to build a similar clock anywhere or for anyone. The outraged master decided to commit suicide by throwing himself from a height into the Orloy mechanism, after which the chimes stopped for several years due to damage. However, history refutes this legend; master Ganush (his real name was Jan Rouge) really refined the clock mechanism, and everything else is fiction.

Another legend says that when the clock stops, cataclysms must occur in the city. Such a stop occurred during the occupation of the Czech Republic by the Nazis, which ended directly on Old Town Square with the destruction Soviet troops the last German group in Prague on May 8, 1945

One of Orloj's last stops occurred in 2001, after which a large-scale flood occurred that flooded the Czech capital (August 2002).

Prague Orloj: reviews and impressions

The chimes on Starometskaya Square is one of them, attracting thousands of tourists who come in droves every hour to watch the show with moving figures.

There are no performances at night, and Orloy employees are busy restoring and updating the mechanisms and figurines in the tower. Watches require daily care (lubrication of mechanisms, etc.), which is what these people take care of.

Many tourists who come to admire the clock on Old Town Square in Prague express their reviews with delight and inspiration. Orloj is located in the very center of Prague, on the square where Christmas and other holiday festivities and fairs are held. There are also numerous restaurants and cafes with delicious pastries and national dishes.

Conclusion

In 2010, Prague Orloj celebrated its 600th anniversary. Happened in the city holiday events dedicated to this event. Over the past several hundred years, the famous chimes have attracted many tourists to Prague, and they will remain popular for many more centuries.

This place is especially beautiful during the New Year holidays: in the center of the square, the largest Christmas tree in the city is installed, and holiday shows, which, surrounded by medieval spiers and castles, resemble a fabulous and beautiful theatrical action.