|
 Situated
in Lesser Town is St. Nicholas Church, whose robust dome and thin
bell-tower are an inseparable part of the Prague Castle skyline;
it is one of the most sought after Prague churches. It belongs among
the leading baroque constructions in Europe and is usually defined
as being the most beautiful building of Czech baroque. It was built
at a time when Prague was in the process of undergoing prominent
changes, when during the second half of the 17th century
the existing Renaissance style was replaced by Baroque; a style
representing political and social changes having arisen after the
Battle of Bila Hora (White Mountain) in 1620 - recatholisation and
consolidation of absolutist ruler power.
Construction history
The Church of St. Nicholas is erected in the natural centre of Lesser
Town, where the Parish Church of St. Nicholas stood as early as
in 1283 and where a marketplace was established along with the small
Romanesque Church of St. Wenceslas during the middle ages. The Baroque
construction of all the Jesuit premises including the parish building
and school took place from 1673 to 1752. Construction was commenced
by master-builder P. Bos, who was shortly replaced by Giovanni
Domenico Orsi. The decisive phase began only after 1702 and
that according to the new variant, the authorship of which is ascribed
to Kryštof Dientzenhofer. His son, Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer,
completed the construction after his death and it was Kilián who
designed the unique vault and robust dome, which became one of the
Prague's main landmarks. This change did not only distinctly influence
the appearance of the Church, but it also greatly influenced the
entire face of Prague's left bank. The first Masses could already
be held in a part of the Church as early as 1711. Both chapels placed
at the entrance into the Church were completed in 1713 and 1715
- the Chapel of St. Barbara to the left of the entrance and the
Chapel of St. Anne on the opposite side. The construction was completed
in 1752. The bell-tower, modified by Anselmo Lurago, was also completed
in the same year.
Architecture
Construction of the Church of St. Nicholas significantly contributed
to the development of high Baroque architecture. Its master-builders
made use of all the characteristic elements of this style in order
to support its monumentality and impression of dramatic character,
expressiveness and plasticity. This outer impression is then emphasised
inside with the aid of illusive frescos and sophisticated games
played by light and its shadows.
 The
western front captures the thoughtful composition of the
façade. It consists of a three-piece stairway, ground floor, first
floor and robust shield of the Roman type. The front plan is alternately
sagged and then cambered; the curve thus created induces a feeling
of unease and the movement of mass. The entire front is richly decorated
with Ionian pillars, a balcony, stucco and sculptural decorations.
A statue of St. Nicholas created by J. B. Kohl's workshop was placed
in the shield habitable (up to 1711).
The southern front is created by a nave and dome façade
with a lantern and is made complete by a four-sided tower, which
is as high as the dome. The almost eighty metre high dome is also
decorated with statues made by Ignác František Platzer, from the
second half of the 18th century, and Robert Platzer (after
the end of the second half of the 19th century). The
gallery surrounding the lantern is decorated with a forged handrail.
The northern and eastern fronts are less visible;
the northern front turns into the courtyard of the craft house;
the eastern front is almost covered by surrounding town houses.
The interior
 The
interior of the Church comes across as dramatic, as does its outer
appearance. The primary nave with its side chapels connects onto
the presbytery with its giant dome carried by two robust arches.
A through platform is placed above the chapels and illusive frescos
are painted onto its individual vaults. Large side windows bring
light into the interior and help to create an overall impression.
A number of excellent Baroque artists gave a helping hand to the
spectacular décor. The author of the inner composition is K.
I. Dientzenhofer. The high altar and the late Baroque altars
situated in the apses of the three-leaf lock are also based on his
model.
Rare materials decorated with gilding and rich linings of artificial
marble, which is also used in the original paving, which has been
preserved in the entire Church, most probably date back to 1760.
 An
oval chapel of the dead, the Chapel of
St. Barbara, is located to the left of the entrance.
A plasterer called Jan Hennevogel of Ebenberg (up to 1761)
richly decorates it with artificial marble and gold. As is the case
in the entire Church, even here the vaults and walls are painted
with perspective illusive paintings (Adorace sv. Barbory [Adoration
of St. Barbara], Josef Kramolín).
 The
chapel houses two altars. The Altar of the Holy Cross standing
at the west wall dates back to about 1725; it is made of wood and
decorated with artificial marble. A gilded crown hovers over an
attachment like a baldachin. The title painting, Kalvárie
[Calvary], by Karel Škréta (around 1645) was originally placed
in the earlier Church of St. Nicholas. The Altar of St. Barbara,
1769, is made of wood and marble, and is decorated with gilded woodcuts
created by Petr Prachner. The author of the painting depicting
a saint accepting a goblet from an angel is Ludvík Kohl.
The opposite lying Chapel of St. Anne
houses the late Baroque altar of St. Anne dating back to
1771. This altar carries a painting called The Royal Family with
St. Anne [Sv. rodiny se sv. Annou], also previously placed in
the original Church. An unknown painter in about the 1670's painted
it.
 The
Chapels of St. Aloise, St. Ignac, and St. Michael continue further
along the nave to its left; to the right are the Chapels of St.
Catherine, St. Francis Xaversky, and St. Jan Nepomucký.
The Church is dominated by the Main nave.
Its vault is covered by a fresco by Jan Lukáš Kracker depicting
the live of St. Nicholas and dates back to 1760.
Another fresco depicts St. Cecilia (František Xaver Palko,
1760).
The late Baroque organ
was built by Tomáš Schwarz during 1745 - 46. They were returned
to their original sound form by J. Gartner during1834-35.
It is thanks to Abbé Vogler that the Church boasts another
organ - a choir organ, built by the same constructor; almost as
it was originally apart from a few modifications here and there.
Late Baroque Statues stand at the nave pillars. They were
completed in 1755-57 and represent Theodosia, St. Constantine,
Kája (Jan Nepomucky) and Cyrus, a Persian king. A sculpture
of the Crucified [Ukřižovaný] is placed to the right of the presbytery
and its creator is J. B. Kohl (about 1720).
 The
pulpit has a platform made of artificial marble, which
is decorated with ornaments and a number of gilded woodcuts originated
in the workshop of R. J. Prachner (1762-66). This work of
art is an example of exceptional Czech Baroque sculptures, which
have not equal in the Czech lands.
A fresco depicting St. Nicolas with the church fathers and adored
hangs high above the presbytery (F. X. Palko, 1753-54).
Rococo classicist statues of the Four Eastern Church Fathers
stand in front of the four supporting pillars of the dome (František
Ignác Platzer, 1755-69); St. Cyril Alexandrijsky stands
to the right of the high altar, and further to the right stand Jan
Zlatoústý, Řehoř Naziánský, Basil Veliký. Above them hover the
Four Figures of Virtue, Wisdom, Righteousness,
Moderation and Bravery, completed by the same workshop up to
1761. The other eight Virtues are placed even higher
above the heads of visitors; between the tambour windows of the
dome. They date back to about 1760.
 The
high altar was designed according to a model created by
Andrey Pozza and an unknown craftsman, who decorated it with
polychromy and gilding, created it out of wood during the first
quarter of the 18th century. The marble extension makes place for
a copper and gilded sculpture of St. Nicholas dating back to 1765.
As was the case with other late Baroque décor, it also originated
in the workshop of I. F. Platzer. The sculptural groups on
the sides depict scenes of St. Ignác of Loyola beating the hereza
and St. Francis Xaverský converting a heathen (1765-66). The
stucco figures depict St. Wenceslas and St. Vitus.
The Altar of the Visited Mary [Oltář Navštívení P.
Marie] (1761) is located to the left of the high altar. The title
painting was made by Jan Lukáš Kracker; the marble part was
made by Josef Lauermann, who took a significant part in the overall
marble decoration of the Church. The altar is decorated with the
sculptures of St. Jáchym and St. Anne; stucco figures of St. Sigmund
and St. Ludmila are placed on the volutes of the post. A small figure
of the Virgin Maria Foyeska is placed in a small cabinet.
The Altar of St. Josef located in the apse to the
right of the high altar is decorated by a title painting called
The Death of St. Josef [Smrt sv. Josefa], created by an unknown
painter, and the statues of St. John the Baptist, St. John the Evangelist,
St. Adalbert, and St. Prokop. The small cabinet houses the remains
of St. Jan Nepomucky and St. Krispa.
The portal Altar of St. Michael, dating back to 1761,
is decorated by a painting depicting Michael the Archangel and wooden
gilded sculptures created in the workshop of Richard Jiří Prachner.
The other altars are made of marble and are decorated by rococo
classicist gilded woodcuts made in the workshop of I. F. Platzer
(1760-70). Most of the paintings originated in about the same period.
The Altar of St. John Nepomucky (1766) carries a painting
depicting a saint granting alms; its originator is Ignác Raab.
I. Raab painted a painting depicting a saint in a cave hanging
above the altar of St. Ignác of Loyola.
The Alter of St. Francis Xaversky is decorated by
a large painting called the Death of St. Francis on the Island
of Sanciano [Smrt sv. Františka na ostrově Sanciano] by F.
X. Palka.
 The
altar of St. Aloise (1760) is accompanied by a large and
small title painting depicting St. Judah Theodore by I. Raab.
It is also decorated by statues representing St. Stanislav Kostka
and St. Jan de Goto.
The Altar of St. Catherine is enriched by a painting
called The Mystical Engagement of St. Catherine [Mystické
zasnoubení sv. Kateřiny] by I. Raab and by sculptures of
St. Tekla and Margaret. We may also see a copy of the Prague
Christ child and a small alabaster crucifix depicting The Virgin
Mary in Pain made by Italian master craftsmen.
Confession chambers are located along the side chapels,
opposite the altars of St. Michael and St. Jan Nepomucky. They are
of a rococo nature - pseudo-Baroque - in comparison to the other
altars. The original pews, dating back to the first
half of the 18th century, have been preserved. Of the
four original bells boasted by the adjoining bell-tower only one
Renaissance bell remains. It dates back to 1576 and was cast by
bell-master Brikec of Cimperk.
The most valued monuments of art preserved in the Church are a set
of paintings, created by K. Škréta, exhibited in the gallery.
These paintings represent the so-called Passion cycle
[Pašijový cyklus], created during 1673-74; it was originally placed
in the craft house. The cycle consists of 10 pieces of art:
Christ on Mount Olive [Kristus na hoře Olivetské]
Christ before Caifus [Kristus před Kaifášem]
Christ before Herod [Kristus před Herodem]
Christ before Pontius Pilate [Kristus před Pilátem]
The Whipping [Bičování]
Crowing through Suffering [Korunování trpením]
Ecce Homo
The Crucifixion [Ukřižování]
The Virgin Mary in Pain [P. Marie Bolestná]
Mourning [Oplakávání]
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