Prague Loreta in Prague – history, photo, description, how to get there, prices 2021, map
Silence reigns every hour in ancient Hradcany near Prague‘s Loreta. It is allowed to break it only by the magical sounds of 27 bells installed in the tower and performing the piece of music “I greet you a thousand times.” Their magical, mysterious ringing envelops the surroundings, emphasizing the solemn beauty of the Prague Loreta architectural ensemble.
Story
The whole ensemble grew up around their spiritual center in the Holy Hut. The proposal of the aristocrat Katerzyna in 1626 opened the way for the start of construction. She believed the legend associated with the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel to the Holy Virgin Mary with the news that very soon she would become a mother. The angels moved this house from Nazareth. He had to protect the baby. The architectural version of the ambit (monastery) with a lower arched gallery, two chapels, a bell tower emphasized the beauty and grandeur of the building. In the center of the ensemble grew the Church of the Nativity of the Lord, surrounded by chapels, a portico.
The construction of the ensemble was carried out according to the project of the Italian Giovanni Orsi. Several building elements were brought from the active Loreta of Italy. On March 25, 1631, the Prague Loreta was lit. The walls of the building were decorated with sculptural scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary, the Old Testament prophets. The baroque facade around the house appeared in the 18th century. During this period, the activities of the Catholic Church intensified to attract the population of the country. There was a need to increase the number of buildings of the monastery. Gradually, an ensemble of this type became the largest in the Czech Republic, surpassing the scale of the Italian Loreta, which is considered the prototype of the Prague Loreta.
What to see
The architectural complex of Loreta includes many different functional buildings. Its central part is decorated with the Holy Hut, the Church of the Nativity of the Lord, the treasury, chapels in honor of famous saints.
chapels
Interesting legends from the life of the saints are told during tours of the chapels:
The chapels of the complex have a good location. Pilgrims going to the Holy Hut will definitely pass by them, stop at the benches nearby. Together with the action of the ceiling frescoes, executed by Felix Scheffler, an atmosphere of prayerful, philosophical reflections is automatically created here.
The courtyard of the complex is decorated with interesting fountains with sculptures of the Ascension of the Virgin Mary, the Resurrection of the Lord.
Holy Hut
Baroness Katarina laid the foundation stone for the country's future landmark. Her portrait, along with portraits of other sponsors of the building, are along the second floor of the gallery surrounding the Holy Hut. Elements of artificial marble (stucco technique) in the form of complex bas-reliefs, telling about the life of the Virgin Mary, filled the interior of the Hut. Her main asset is:
Covered arcade, appeared in 1722 along with frescoes, a tower. On the balcony, decorating the entrance to the Hut, there are statues of Saints Joseph, John the Baptist, designed by Quitainer. In the tower, the famous 27 bells made in the period of 1691, 1694, an old clock counting down the life of the attraction took an eternal place. The locals often call the small Holy Hut a “pearl in a box”, a model of small space, extraordinary modesty.
Church of the Nativity of Christ
Due to the financial assistance of Maria Markita, an aristocrat from the famous family of Valbdshtein, the construction of the Church of the Nativity of the Lord began. The consecration of the temple took place in 1737. The design of the temple corresponds to the Baroque style. The building is surrounded by chapels and a portico. The church has a main altar and two small altars containing the skeletons of the martyrs Agapit and Felikissimos, who lived in the 3rd century. Their faces are protected by wax death masks.
Above the main altar of the temple is an old Renaissance painting “The Adoration of the Child” in a chased silver frame. On the altar there is a beautiful tabernaculum made of gilded and silver leaf. The walls of the church are decorated with rich paintings. The wooden organ created by Leopold Spiegel in 1718 began work in it. A new organ appeared in the temple in 1739. It is organically combined with the frescoes of the walls and ceiling. Directly below the musical choirs of the organ is a crypt for the famous dead of Loreta, created during the time of the “great chapel”.
Treasury
Not far from the gallery with portraits of the wealthy citizens of Prague, involved in financing the construction, is the second largest treasury in the city. The first exhibits for her were donated by Katarina. A large number of silver, gold items, and other valuable exhibits disappeared from the treasury during the Turkish war of 1705. Napoleon, World War II. Now it contains about 300 precious artifacts.
The most significant is considered to be a diamond monstrance weighing 12 kg, made in 1698 from an alloy of gold and silver. The monstrance is called the “Prague Sun”. At its base is a small, elegant sculpture of the Virgin Mary. The golden rays coming from her head are adorned with 6222 diamonds. In the treasury you can see a Gothic silver cup, which came from the Middle Ages (1510), an ebony altar, numerous liturgical objects, works of art from the 16th – 18th centuries. The Treasury is considered an important cult place in Prague.
Bell tower
Hearing the beautiful melody of the bells, passers-by stop, tears appear in their eyes. They come from the Loreta tower, built in 1693 in Amsterdam and donated to the shrine. By the number of bells, this church bell tower is considered the largest in Europe. The magical power of the bell ringing can fill the neighborhood with iridescent blagovest, disturbing tocsin, quiet evening romance. A religious hymn is played daily at 8 am and 6 pm on the Prague Loreta bell tower.
The bells, like prophets, predicted important events in the life of the city, dispersed clouds and thunderstorms. For example, the largest bell in Prague, Sigmund, was damaged on its own a few weeks before the terrible flood that damaged many buildings in Prague, sculptures of Charles Bridge. Each bell has not an easy way of making, its own destiny. As early as the 10th century, bells were given names in honor of saints during a special lighting ceremony. A religious hymn is played daily at 8 am and 6 pm on the Prague Loreta bell tower. I want it to sound forever.
Opening hours and ticket prices
The entrance to the beautiful architectural ensemble of Prague opens daily at half past ten in the morning. You can visit the buildings until 16.30 in the evening from November to the end of March. During the rest of the year, the complex is open from 9 am to 5 pm. The lunch break is from 12:15 to 13:00. The price of the entrance ticket is 110 kroons. For children, reduced ticket pay 90 kroons. Those wishing to take photographs on the territory of Loreta must pay an additional 100 crowns. Use a tripod, flash is prohibited.
Where is it located and how to get there
There is an attraction near the Prague Castle. You can come here by tram number 22, 91 to the Brusnice stop. Take the green line metro to Malostranská station. The address of the ensemble is Loretánské nám. 7/100.