St. Vitus Cathedral
| St Vitus Cathedral | |
|---|---|
| The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saints Vitus, Wenceslaus and Adalbert | |
| Czech: Katedrála svatého Víta, Václava a Vojtěcha | |
St. Vitus Cathedral is situated entirely within the Prague Castle complex.
|
|
 St Vitus Cathedral
|
|
| 50°5′27.24″N 14°24′2.16″E / 50.0909000°N 14.4006000°ECoordinates: 50°5′27.24″N 14°24′2.16″E / 50.0909000°N 14.4006000°E | |
| Location | Prague |
| Country | Czech Republic |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | Website of the Cathedral |
| History | |
| Founded | c. 930 1344 (current church) |
| Consecrated | 12 May 1929 |
| Architecture | |
| Status | Cathedral |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) | Peter Parler, Matthias of Arras |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Completed | 1929 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 124 metres (407 ft) |
| Width | 60 metres (200 ft) |
| Bells | 10 |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Prague |
| Clergy | |
| Archbishop | Dominik Duka |
| Provost | Václav Malý |
| Dean | Ondřej Pávek |
| Deacon(s) | Štěpán Faber |
The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saints Vitus, Wenceslaus and Adalbert (Czech: metropolitní katedrála svatého Víta, Václava a Vojtěcha) is a Roman Catholic metropolitan cathedral in Prague, the seat of the Archbishop of Prague. Until 1997, the cathedral was dedicated only to Saint Vitus, and is still commonly named only as St. Vitus Cathedral.
This cathedral is an excellent example of Gothic architecture and is the largest and most important church in the country. Located within Prague Castle and containing the tombs of many Bohemian kings and Holy Roman Emperors, the cathedral is under the ownership of the Czech government as part of the Prague Castle complex. Cathedral dimensions are 124 by 60 metres (407 ft × 197 ft), the main tower is 96.5 metres (317 ft) high, front towers 82 metres (269 ft), arch height {[convert|33.2|m|ft}}.
The current cathedral is the third of a series of religious buildings at the site, all dedicated to St. Vitus. The first church was an early Romanesque rotunda founded by Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia in 930. This patron saint was chosen because Wenceslaus had acquired a holy relic – the arm of St. Vitus – from Emperor Henry I. It is also possible that Wenceslaus, wanting to convert his subjects to Christianity more easily, chose a saint whose name (Svatý Vít in Czech) sounds very much like the name of Slavic solar deity Svantevit. Two religious populations, the increasing Christian and decreasing pagan community, lived simultaneously in Prague castle at least until the 11th century.
...
Wikipedia