View source for Charles Bridge

{{Short description|Medieval stone arch bridge across the Vltava river in Prague, Czechia}}
{{Expand Czech|topic=struct|date=July 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox bridge
|bridge_name= Charles Bridge
|image= Prague 07-2016 view from Lesser Town Tower of Charles Bridge img3.jpg
|caption= View of the bridge, 2016
|official_name= Karlův most
|also_known_as= Stone Bridge (Kamenný most), Prague Bridge (Pražský most)
|carries= Pedestrian only
|crosses= [[Vltava|Vltava River]]
|locale= Prague
|maint=
|id=
|designer=[[Peter Parler]]
|design= Stone
|mainspan= {{convert|13.4|m}}<ref name=pragspot>{{cite web |url=http://www.prague-spot.com/charles-bridge |title=Charles' Bridge (Karluv most) |publisher=Prague Spot |access-date=2013-11-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140129055146/http://www.prague-spot.com/charles-bridge |archive-date=29 January 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|length= {{convert|515.8|m}}<ref name=pragspot/>
|material= Bohemian sandstone
|spans = 16
|width= {{convert|9.5|m}}<ref name=pragspot/>
|clearance_below= {{convert|13|m}}<ref name=pragspot/>
|below=
|traffic=
|begin=1357<ref name=pragspot/>
|complete=1402 (45 years)<ref name=pragspot/>
|open=
|closed=
|toll=
| coordinates = {{coord|50|05|11|N|14|24|43|E|display=inline,title}}
| mapframe-zoom = 14
}}

'''Charles Bridge''' ({{langx|cs|Karlův most}} {{IPA|cs|ˈkarluːf ˈmost||Cs-Karluv most.ogg}}, {{langx|de|Karlsbrücke}}) is a [[medieval]] stone [[arch bridge]] that crosses the [[Vltava]] river in [[Prague]], Czech Republic. Its construction started in 1357 under the auspices of King [[Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles IV]], and finished in the early 15th century.<ref name=Main>{{cite web|url=http://www.myczechrepublic.com/prague/sightseeing/charles_bridge.html|title=Charles Bridge (Karlův most)|author=Dana Shanberg|publisher=myCzechRepublic|access-date=23 October 2014|archive-date=16 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180216132908/http://www.myczechrepublic.com/prague/sightseeing/charles_bridge.html|url-status=dead}}; {{cite web|url=http://www.aviewoncities.com/prague/charlesbridge.htm|title=Charles Bridge|publisher=A View on Cities|access-date=23 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150322162725/http://www.aviewoncities.com/prague/charlesbridge.htm|archive-date=22 March 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> The bridge replaced the old Judith Bridge built 1158–1172 that had been severely damaged by a flood in 1342. This new bridge was originally called Stone Bridge (''Kamenný most'') or Prague Bridge (''Pražský most''), but has been referred to as "Charles Bridge" since 1870.<ref name=Main />

As the only means of crossing the river Vltava until 1841, Charles Bridge was the most important connection between [[Prague Castle]] and the city's [[Old Town, Prague|Old Town]] and adjacent areas. This land connection made Prague important as a trade route between Eastern and Western Europe. The bridge is located on the historic coronation route of the [[List of Bohemian monarchs|Bohemian kings]].

The bridge is {{convert|516|m|ft}} long and nearly {{convert|10|m|ft}} wide. Following the example of the [[Stone Bridge (Regensburg)|Stone Bridge]] in [[Regensburg]], it was built as a bow bridge with 16 arches shielded by ice guards.<ref name=Main /> It is protected by three [[bridge tower]]s, two on the [[Malá Strana|Lesser Quarter]] side (including the [[Malá Strana Bridge Tower]]) and one on the [[Old Town, Prague|Old Town]] side, the [[Old Town Bridge Tower]]. The bridge is decorated by a continuous alley of 30 [[List of statues on Charles Bridge|statues and statuaries]], most of them [[baroque]]-style, originally erected around 1700, but now all have been replaced by replicas.

The bridge is currently undergoing a twenty-year process of structural inspections, restoration, and repairs. The process started in late 2019, and is expected to cost 45–60 million [[Czech Koruna|CZK]] (US$1.9–2.6 million).<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-02-06|title=Praha začne rekonstruovat Karlův most, práce budou trvat dvacet let|url=https://www.idnes.cz/praha/zpravy/opravy-karluv-most-stav.A180206_161647_praha-zpravy_nuc|access-date=2020-08-31|website=iDNES.cz}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cz.citymedia.network/prague/features/pragues-charles-bridge-undergo-20-year-restoration//|title=Prague's Charles Bridge to Undergo 20-Year Restoration|work=PragueLife!|date=12 February 2018|accessdate=16 August 2021}}</ref>

==History==
{{more citations needed|section|date=July 2015}}

===14th to 19th centuries===
[[File:Praha Revolution 1848.jpg|thumb|left|[[Old Town Bridge Tower]] during [[Revolutions of 1848 in the Austrian Empire|1848 revolution]]]]
[[File:FFridrich, Karluv most, Praha, povoden 1872.jpg|thumb|right|Charles Bridge during 1872 flood]]

Throughout its history, Charles Bridge has suffered several disasters and witnessed many historic events. Czech legend has it that construction began on Charles Bridge at 5:31am on 9 July 1357 with the first stone being laid by Charles IV himself. This exact time was very important to the Holy Roman Emperor because he was a strong believer in numerology and felt that this specific time, which formed a [[palindrome]] (1357 9/7 5:31), was a numerical bridge, and would imbue Charles Bridge with additional strength.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Eastern Europe : an introduction to the people, lands, and culture|last=Frucht|first=Richard|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2005|isbn=978-1576078013|volume=1|location=Santa Barbara, CA|page=[https://archive.org/details/easterneuropeint0000unse/page/251 251]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/easterneuropeint0000unse/page/251}}</ref> The bridge was completed 45 years later in 1402.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Prague & the Czech Republic|last=Brook|first=Stephen|publisher=National Geographic|year=2010|location=Washington, D.C.|pages=98|oclc=833442607}}</ref> A [[flood]] in 1432 damaged three pillars. In 1496 the third arch (counting from the Old Town side) broke down after one of the pillars lowered, being undermined by the water (repairs were finished in 1503). A year after the [[Battle of White Mountain]], when the 27 leaders of the anti-[[Habsburg]] revolt were executed on 21 June 1621, the [[Old Town Bridge Tower]] served as a deterrent display of the severed heads of the victims to stop Czechs from further resistance. During the end of the [[Thirty Years' War]] in 1648, the [[Sweden|Swedes]] occupied the west bank of the Vltava, and as they tried to advance into the Old Town the heaviest fighting took place right on the bridge. During the fighting, they severely damaged one side of the Old Town bridge tower (the side facing the river) and the remnants of almost all gothic decorations had to be removed from it afterward. During the late 17th century and early 18th century the bridge gained its typical appearance when an alley of baroque statues was installed on the pillars. During a great flood in 1784, five pillars were severely damaged and, although the arches did not break down, the traffic on the bridge had to be greatly restricted for some time.

The original stairway to [[Kampa Island]] was replaced by a new one in 1844. The next year, another great flood threatened the bridge, but the bridge escaped major damage. In 1848, during the [[Revolutions of 1848 in the Austrian Empire|revolutionary]] days, the bridge escaped unharmed from the cannonade, but some of the statues were damaged. In 1866, pseudo-gothic gas lights were erected on the balustrade; they were later replaced with electric lighting. In the 1870s, the first regular public-transport ([[bus|omnibus]]) line went over the bridge (officially called "Charles Bridge" after 1870) later replaced by a horse tram.<ref name=Main /> The bridge towers underwent a thorough reconstruction between 1874 and 1883.

On 2–5 September 1890, another disastrous flood struck Prague and severely damaged Charles Bridge. Thousands of rafts, logs and other floating materials that escaped from places upstream gradually formed a huge barrier leaning against the bridge. Three arches were torn down by the great pressure and two pillars collapsed from being undermined by the water, while others were partly damaged. With the fifth pillar, two statues – [[Ignatius of Loyola|St. Ignatius of Loyola]] and [[Francis Xavier|St. Xavier]], both by [[Ferdinand Brokoff]] – also fell into the river. The former statue was replaced by a statuary of [[Saints Cyril and Methodius]] by [[Karel Dvořák (sculptor)|Karel Dvořák]]; the latter was replaced by a replica of the original. Repair works lasted for two years (the bridge was reopened on 19 November 1892) and cost 665,000 [[Austro-Hungarian krone|crowns]].

===20th century to present===
[[File:Prague 07-2016 View from Petrinska Tower img2.jpg|thumb|left|Charles Bridge as viewed from [[Petřínská rozhledna]] – lookout tower]]
[[File:Charles Bridge (Karlův most), Vltava River, Prague, 2015.jpg|thumb|right|View towards the Prague Castle with Charles Bridge]]
In the beginning of the 20th century, Charles Bridge saw a steep rise of heavy traffic. The last day of the horse line on the bridge was 15 May 1905, when it was replaced with an electric tram and later, in 1908, with buses. At the end of [[World War II]], a barricade was built in the Old Town bridge tower gateway. A capital repair of the bridge took place between 1965 and 1978, based on a collaboration among various scientific and cultural institutes. The stability of the pillars was reassured, all broken stone blocks were replaced, and the asphalt top was removed. All vehicular traffic has been excluded from Charles Bridge since then, making it accessible by pedestrians only. The repair cost 50 million crowns.

During the 1990s, some people started criticizing the previous reconstruction of the bridge and proposing further work. As of the beginning of the new millennium, most of the experts appeared to agree that the previous reconstruction had not been flawless but disputed the need for further interference with the bridge. However, after the disastrous [[2002 European flood|floods of 2002]] (which themselves caused only minor harm to the bridge), support for an overall bridge reconstruction grew. It was decided that repair and stabilization of the two pillars (numbers 8 and 9) on the Malá Strana side of the bridge would be done. These are the only river pillars that were not repaired after the 1890 floods. The reconstruction was a gradual process that closed off parts of the bridge without closing the span entirely.

Performed from 2008 to 2010, the work included bolstering the pillars and building a new hydroisolation system protecting the bridge. It also encompassed a re-pavimentation of the bridge's pavement and the replacement of many of the stones in the bridge walls, a matter which was controversial due to a heavy-handed approach adopted by the restoration team, which had no previous experience in restoration of cultural heritage monuments. The result has been criticised by conservation professionals all over Europe (see photos on external links), as dozens of new replacement stones do not match the historical ones they are next to, the amount of replaced stones is considered excessive, some stones have been inappropriately positioned, original stones have been chipped and joining materials employed are considered not appropriate for the structure.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.zachrante-karluv-most.cz/en/photogallery.html |title=Photogallery from the online petition by the Association for the Conservation and Development of the Cultural Heritage (ASORKD) |access-date=4 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180101082245/http://www.zachrante-karluv-most.cz/en/photogallery.html |archive-date=1 January 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{YouTube|nxrBJeKR64k|Czech Republic – The Botched Restoration of Charles Bridge}}</ref> In 2010 [[UNESCO]]'s [[World Heritage Committee]] adopted a decision stating that "the restoration of Charles Bridge was carried out without adequate conservation advice on materials and techniques".<ref>{{Cite web |title=34 COM 7B.82 – Decision |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/4190/ |access-date=2022-06-17 |website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre}}</ref>

==Statues on the bridge==
{{main|List of statues on Charles Bridge}}
[[File:Charles bridge and the Castle.jpg|thumb|Charles Bridge and the [[Calvary, Charles Bridge|''Calvary'']], c. 1935]]

The avenue of 30 mostly Baroque statues and statuaries situated on the balustrade forms a unique connection of artistic styles with the underlying Gothic bridge. Most sculptures were erected between 1683 and 1714.<ref name=Main /> They depict various [[saint]]s and [[patron saint]]s venerated at that time. The most prominent Bohemian sculptors of the time took part in decorating the bridge, such as [[Matthias Braun]], [[Jan Brokoff]], and his sons [[Michael Brokoff|Michael Joseph]] and [[Ferdinand Brokoff|Ferdinand Maxmilian]].

Among the most notable sculptures, one can find the statuaries of [[St. Luthgard]], [[Calvary, Charles Bridge|the Holy Crucifix and Calvary]], and [[Statue of John of Nepomuk, Charles Bridge|John of Nepomuk]]. Well known also is the [[Statue of Bruncvík, Charles Bridge|statue of the knight Bruncvík]], although it was erected some 200 years later and does not belong to the main avenue.

Beginning in 1965, all of the statues have been systematically replaced by replicas, and the originals have been exhibited in the [[Lapidarium, Prague|Lapidarium]] of the [[National Museum (Prague)|National Museum]].

==Tribute==
On 9 July 2017, [[Google]] celebrated the 660th anniversary of Charles Bridge with a [[Google Doodle]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://doodles.google/doodle/660th-anniversary-of-charles-bridge/|title=660th Anniversary of Charles Bridge|website=Google|date=9 July 2017}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Ponte Milvio]]
*[[Most Ljubavi]]



==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline|Charles Bridge}}
*[http://www.charlesbridgemuseum.com/ Official Museum of Charles Bridge]
*{{Structurae|id=20000473|title=Charles Bridge}}

{{Bridges in Prague}}
{{Public art in Prague}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Peter Parler buildings]]
[[Category:Bridges completed in the 15th century]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1402]]
[[Category:Transport infrastructure completed in the 1400s]]
[[Category:Bridges in Prague]]
[[Category:Bridges over the Vltava]]
[[Category:Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor]]
[[Category:Gothic architecture in the Czech Republic]]
[[Category:National cultural monuments of the Czech Republic]]
[[Category:Pedestrian bridges in the Czech Republic]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Prague]]
[[Category:Arch bridges in the Czech Republic]]