Discover the secrets of one of Prague’s most beautiful architectural works: its astronomical clock!
Know the astronomical clock of Prague ? Today it is one of the most admired historical and technical monuments in the Czech Republic but also the world. Developed in the early 15th century, this clock not like others has always fascinated, interrogated those who tried to pierce its secrets.
Today, it is one of the prides of the square of the Old Town of Prague: thousands of tourists and curious go to his feet to admire the incredible show that offers the round of its automatons and this complex mechanism that shows the time that passes. Thanks to this astronomical clock, the city of Prague has joined the closed circle of medieval cities like Padua, Strasbourg or Bern.
Photo credit: Flickr – Serge
A little history
It is in 1410, precisely, that the construction of the astronomical clock in Prague is entrusted to Nicolas de Kadau, a work that will be redesigned several times over the years.
Indeed, in 1490 already, another great watchmaker named Hanus will transform it to such a point that one will long believe that it is his creator.
A fantastic astronomical clock
The astronomical clock in Prague is not just an ordinary clock, it is a small jewel of miniatures and an incredible work of entanglements of mechanisms.
Vanity and greed – Photo credit: Wikimedia - Sebaso
Death and the Turk – Photo credit: Wikimedia - Sebaso
It consists of three essential elements:
An astronomical dial which indicates the position of the Sun, that of the Moon and the time of course: it is notably the astrolabe that remains the basis of the astronomical clock of Prague: it is the astronomical tool by which astrologers and browsers could determine the position of stars and stars, it is always an object of curiosity.
A dial with medallions which represents every month of the year: this large disc located at the bottom of the clock is also the most recent, made in 1886 by J. Manes.
A mechanism which triggers the parade of the 12 apostles every hour: every day and every hour, between 9am and 9pm, the mechanism animates and the parade can start in front of the small windows, each apostle proudly posing with his attributes.
Above the apostles, a cock comes to sing his cocorico to close the parade. Around the apostles, four animated characters are also articulated: the Vaniteux who holds his mirror, the Avare with his cane and scholarship, the Death or the Skeleton with his sablier and the Turk with a lute that represents the caprices and pleasures.
Photo credit: Flickr – Moyan Brenn
A strange legend
The astronomical clock in Prague indicates several hours, namely the astronomical time as such, the time corresponding to the time zone of Central Europe, the old Czech time and the Babylonian time.
This clock is adorned with a legend: in fact, when Hanus finished his work on this uncommon clock, the municipal councillors would have struck his eyes to prevent him from recreating or improving his masterpiece in another city.
In order to avenge, Hanus would have deliberately destroyed part of the mechanism and the counter would be untrashed.
According to legend always, all those who would have tried to fix the clock would have gone crazy or would simply have died mysteriously.
Photo credit: Wikimedia – Steve Collis
Main photo credit: Flickr – Moyan Brenn
Loading comments ...