PRAGUE presentation 3f

PRAGUE
06 marzo
Visita del quartiere Stare Mesto (Città Vecchia): Il municipio, le chiese, la Torre delle
polveri
TOWER OF THE ASTRONOMICAL CLOCK
One of the wonders of the world stands out in the Prague sky: it is the tower of the old
town hall, an architectural masterpiece embellished by the famous astronomical clock, one
of the oldest in the world, now a symbol of the Czech capital.
Visitors will find remarkable namely the astronomical clock on the Southern side of the
town hall’s tower. It was built in 1410 by Mikuláš of Kadaň, and perfected at the end of the
15th century by master Hanuš of Růže. According to a legend by Jirásek, the astronomical
clock was built by master Hanuš. After the completion, Prague councilmen had him blinded
in order to prevent him from building a copy. Master Hanuš took his revenge by stopping
the astronomical clock. In fact, the astronomical clock really did stop in 1865, and there
was a risk that it would be removed. Luckily, Prague watchmaker Ludvík Hainz managed
to repair the mechanism, and he became its caretaker together with his descendants. The
astronomical clock is made up of three parts: at the top, there are mechanical figures.
Every hour from 9.00 a.m. to 11.00 p.m., 12 apostles, each carrying his attribute, appear in
the two windows below the small roof. In the left window, viewed from the visitors, the first
to appear is St. Peter with a key, then St. Matthew with an axe, St. John with a chalice, St.
Andrew with an X-shaped cross, St. Philip with a cross. St. James with a washboard and
in the right window, it is St. Paul with a book, St. Thomas with a spear, St. Simon with a
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saw, St. Thaddeus with boards, St. Bartholomew with leather, St. Barnabas with a scroll.
During the fire in May 1945, all the figures on the astronomical clock made by Eduard
Veselý were destroyed. The original figures from the early-Baroque period have been
partially preserved in the Museum of the Capital City of Prague. There were replaced by
wooden statues of apostles made by woodcarver Vojtěch Sucharda in 1948. Together with
the movement of the apostles, also the figures on the sides of the astronomical clock start
to move. The skeleton pulls the rope and starts the apostles’ walk in the two windows via
ringing. He nods towards the Turk - allegory of Lust, who refuses by turning his head. The
Miser - allegory of Miserliness - nods his head with a pouch in his hand and shakes his
cane in a threat, and the Vain man next to him - allegory of Vanity - looks at himself in the
mirror. The Rooster in the window crows when the windows close - he awakens for
another hour of life and the clock on the tower starts to chime. There are immovable
wooden figures installed at the level of the calendar desk, named Philosopher - allegory of
Philosophy - with a pen feather, Astronomer - allegory of Astronomy - with a telescope,
Chronicler - allegory of Rhetorics - with a book, and Archangel Michael with a fiery sword.
The astronomical clock is divided into a calendar with a zodiac and a clock. The calendar
desk with allegories of months has been created in 1865 by Josef Mánes. Its original is
deposited in the Museum of the Capital City of Prague, and there is a copy by Bohumil
Číla from 1946 on the town hall. Besides several different times, the clock also displays
astronomical data. The movement of the figures is formed similarly to that of a cuckoo bird
in the cuckoo clock. The mechanism is placed in the town hall’s wall in a stone spire to
which there are two keys: one for the caretaker, the second stored at the magistrate. There
are lots of functional original parts in the machine. It is a matchless and unique technical
relic. Before the end of the war, the astronomical clock was wounded via a crank, then it
was connected to an electric motor. Big Ben in London works on the same principle. There
is a calendar dial in the lower part of the facade. It shows the day and its position within a
week, a month and a year. A clock was placed at the top of the tower in 1805. There is a
gallery for visitors offering views of the Old Town. The astronomical clock was repaired and
restored in the period between September and November 2005, with a reconstruction of
the clock machinery, the astronomical dial and Mánes’ calendarium. In 2010, the
astronomical clock celebrates 600 years. This anniversary is not bound with a certain date.
Veronica
St.Joseph
The church was a part of the Capuchin monastery founded in 1630 by Gerhard of
Questenberg. This simple rectangular unadorned Capuchin-style building with a small
courtyard in which there are Baroque sandstone sculptures of St Jude Thaddeus and two
angels under vaulted roofs, also has an unpretentious interior. The Prussian siege of
Prague in 1757 is commemorated by two cannonballs embedded in the church walls.
Stella, Lorenzo, Giorgia
St. George’s Basilica
is located at the Jiřské náměstí and it is one of our most significant Romanesque
monuments as the second oldest Prague church established around 920 by prince
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Vratislav I. In 925, the remains of the murdered princess Ludmila were deposited
here, the grandmother of St. Václav and the first Czech martyress. When the neighbouring
St. George’s Monastery was established in 973, the temple was extended and re-built into
a three-aisle basilica in an Oton’s, early-Romanesque style.
After the fire in 1142, the basilica was restored by the mother superior Berta nearly to its
present appearance. Two white towers of arenaceous marl with stone roof and two rows of
Romanesque windows were added to the side aisles in the East. The thinner, Northern
tower was called Eve, and the wider, Southern tower, built above the original separate
chapel, was called Adam. Eve is slant, and was reinforced during the 70s in the framework
of construction works. In the first half of the 13 th century, the Chapel of St. Ludmila with
her grave was added. Until 1055, the Basilica served the purpose of the official Premyslid
dynasty burial grounds, before the St. Vitus Church was built. Prince Vratislav is buried
here, as well as prince Oldřich and Jaromír, probably. In the crypt, accessible via
a Baroque staircase, there is a black statue of Brigitte as the symbol of human
inconsistency and frailty (depicting a maiden body post mortem). The remains of
a Romanesque wall painting are preserved on the choir vault as well as in the
neighbouring St. Ludmila’s Chapel. Regarding the original Romanesque furnishings, there
are preserved parts of a relief with Madonna crowned by the angels, kneeling mother
superior Mlada and Berta, and on the side, there is Přemysl Otakar I and his sister, mother
superior Agnes (Anežka).
The view of the end of the ancient basilica from the Jiřská Street is the most impressive.
The church portal in the Jiřská Street was made by the Benedikt Ried smelting plant
around 1520, decorated by a view of a knight fighting a dragon in the frontispiece. In the
14 th century, a new front face was built in the West, modified in the 17 th century in an early
Baroque style with a typical terracotta facade. The front face is decorated by a sandstone
statue of the founder of Vratislav I Church and the foundress of Blessed Mlada Monastery;
the author probably being Jan Jiří Bendl. In the years 1718 - 22, František Maxmilián
Kaňka added a baroque Chapel of St. John of Nepomuk in the South-Western corner,
which was built to celebrate his beatification. On the front face, there is his statue with
angels by Ferdinand Maxmilián Brokoff; the interior was painted by Václav Vavřinec
Reiner.
The South wall of the main aisle houses a series of paintings with the theme of St.
Voršila’s martyrdom and 11 000 of Christian virgins by H. Burgkmair from the 16 th century.
There is a monument from the years 1947/48 named „Christ from the Trunk of a Tree“ by
Otto Herbert Hájek in the Northern side aisle; the author donated the monument to the
Czech people and to president Havel as a manifestation of reconciliation.
During the era of Joseph II, the abolished St. George’s Monastery was used by the army,
and the church dilapidated considerably, too. In the years 1887 - 1908 it was reconstructed
according to the design of František Mach, who tried to renew the original Romanesque
appearance. Archaeological research took place in the church and in the monastery in the
years 1958 - 64. Jennifer
St. Vitus Cathedral
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The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saints Vitus, Wenceslaus and Adalbert 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 a prominent 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.
The current cathedral is the third of a series of religious buildings at the site, all dedicated
to St. Vitus.
1) The first church was an early Romanesque rotunda founded by Wenceslaus I, Duke of
Bohemia in 930
The construction of the present Gothic Cathedral began on 21 November 1344,
King John of Bohemia laid the foundation stone for the new building. The patron was
Charles IV, King of Bohemia and a soon-to-be Holy Roman Emperor, who intended the
new cathedral to be a coronation church, family crypt, treasury for the most precious
relics of the kingdom,
The first master builder was a Frenchman Matthias of Arras,
After Matthias' death in 1352, 23-year-old Peter Parler assumed control of the
cathedral workshop as master builder.
After Peter Parler's death in 1399 his sons, Wenzel Parler and particularly Johannes
Parler, continued his work;
The entire building process came to a halt with the beginning of Hussite War in the first
half of 15th century.
St. Wenceslas Chapel
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The most outstanding place in the cathedral is the Chapel of St. Wenceslas, which houses
relics of the saint. Peter Parler constructed the room between 1344 and 1364
The Chapel is not open to the public, but it can be viewed from the doorways.
Through most of the following centuries, the cathedral stood only half-finished.
In the latter half of 15th century, king Vladislav Jagiellon commissioned the great
Renaissance-Gothic architect Benedict Ried to continue the work on the cathedral, but
almost as soon as the work began, it was cut short because of lack of funds.
Later attempts to finish the cathedral only brought some Renaissance and Baroque
elements into the Gothic building,
2) In 1844, Václav Pešina, an energetic St. Vitus canon, together with Neo-Gothic
architect Josef Kranner presented a program for renovation and completion of the great
cathedral. The same year a society under the full name "Union for Completion of the
Cathedral of St. Vitus in Prague" was formed, whose aim was to repair, complete and
rid the structure of everything mutilated and stylistically inimical.
By the time of St. Wenceslas jubilee in 1929, the St. Vitus cathedral was finally finished,
nearly 600 years after it was begun.
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The eastern façade. The Cathedral of St. Vitus had a tremendous influence on the
development of Late Gothic style
In 1997, on 1000th anniversary of the death of Saint Voitechus, the church was rededicated
to Saint Wenceslaus and Saint Adalbert.
Walter
Mercoledì 07 marzo
Terezin
Terezin was built in 1790 by the Austrian Emperor Joseph II of Hapsburg-Lorraine. Initially
Terezin was a fortress called Theresienstadt in honor of Empress Maria Theresa. Terezin
initially was military fortress, with the purpose of protecting Prague from possible attacks.
Terezin was a very large fortress that could accommodate about 6.000 soldiers, while in
wartime 11.000.Terezin was abandoned in 1882 and was turned into a prison.
During the First World War Terezin was used as a concentration camp,where many Russian
deportees entered and were killed. In the Second World War Terezin was conquered by the
Germans who turned it into a field of extermination where about 150,000 Jews were, deported, many
are running for lack of food and care, while others were shot. About 88.000 people were deported to
Auschwitz and others in the camps of extermination, The survivors were about 17.000.
On 9 May 1945 the Soviet forces liberated Terezin from the Nazis. After the war Terezin remained a
military fortress until 1996 from that moment until today Terezin and a museum that recalls the past.
Today many visitors go to Terezin to see how the Jews lived.
Tommaso, Sara
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Visita del quartiere Nove Mesto (Città Nuova): Piazza Venceslao, Piazza Carlo e
Municipio, la casa danzante, Vysehrad, rotonda di San Martino.
CHARLES BRIDGE is Prague's oldest bridge.
It was begun in 1357 by Charles and was completed in 1402,it is called Charles bridge since 1870.
It was 3 fortified towers and it is decorated by 30 statues of saints.
The most important statue is the one of saint John of Napumuk, who is the patron saint of the
Repubblica Ceca and was thrown from this Bridge into Cold Waters of the River in 1393 until 1841
Charles Bridge was the only means of Crossing the river so it was the most important connection
between Prague Castle and the City Old Town.
This Bridge also Made Prague important as a trade route between eastern and Western Europe.
Only pedestrian can cross the bridge since The End of World War two. there are always many Tourist
visit The Bridge The Best time to go there is at night or very Early in the morning.
Giovedì 08 marzo
Visita della città con guida ore 9.00 -13.00
Visita dell'antico quartiere ebraico Josefov e del quartiere Holesovice
High Synagogue
The High Synagogue was built in High Renaissance style together with the Jewish Town
Hall in 1577 as a private synagogue for the rabbinical court and the Jewish council. It's
called the High Synagogue because of its position on the first floor of the Town Hall. The
current facade dates from the 19th century, but the interior lunette vaults with decorative
stucco work is original. The synagogue is not open to tourists.
History
A Renaissance two-storied building of the High Synagogue was built in 1577 by
a businessman Mordechaj Maisel at his own expense. The builder was Panacius Roder.
Originally, it was a part of the Jewish Town Hall, so that is why it is also called the Council
Synagogue. In 1691 it was extended and in the 19 th century it got its current spacious
appearance. However, the interior with lunette vault decorated by stucco bands kept its
original look. Divine services were held here until the autumn of 1941, and then
a warehouse was created here. After the war, the Jewish community restored the chapel,
and in the years 1950 - 1992 it was a seat of the National Jewish Museum. An exposition
of synagogue textiles was installed here until 1982. In 1994 - 1996 the synagogue was
restored and since 1997, it has again served the purposes of the Prague Jewish
community’s chapel after a pause of nearly fifty years. The synagogue forms a unit with
the Jewish town hall where Hebraism study room is located - midrasha.
Synagogue
In Prague city, there are many other synagogues, such as Jerusalem Synagogue,
Klausen Synagogue, Maisel Synagogue, Pinkas Synagogue, Spanish Synagogue,
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Old New Synagogue and Synagogue in Libeň.
Jerusalem Synagogue: The newest and largest synagogue of the Jewish community in
Prague is an interesting example of Art Nouveau melded with Moorish style. Its interior is
richly painted in Art Nouveau style.
Klausen Synagogue: The Klausen Synagogue is located near the entrance to the Old
Jewish Cemetery. The Baroque building was built on the site after a disastrous fire in 1689
and was completed in 1694. It is the largest synagogue of the Prague ghetto and is the
second main synagogue of the Prague Jewish community. The synagogue features an
exhibition of the Jewish Museum dedicated to Jewish traditions and customs.
Maisel Synagogue: The Maisel Synagogue was built from 1590 to 1592 by the mayor of
the Jewish Town, Mordechai Maisel, who funded the extensive Renaissance
reconstruction of the ghetto. The original Renaissance building was seriously damaged by
fire in 1689, and over the years the building has undergone a number of modifications.
Pinkas Synagogue: The present building is the work of the Horowitz family. In 1535 it was
built by Aaron Meshullam Horowitz between his house U Erbů and the site of the Old
Jewish Cemetery. During the post-war years, the synagogue became the Memorial to
Czech and Moravian Jews who were victims of Nazi persecution. From 1992–1996 the
80,000 names of Czech and Moravian Jews who perished under the Nazis were handwritten
on the walls of the synagogue.
Spanish Synagogue: On the site of the oldest Prague Jewish house of prayer called the
"Old School", the Spanish synagogue was built in 1868 in Moorish style by Vojtěch Ignác
Ullmann and Josef Niklas. From 1836 to 1845 František Škroup, composer of the Czech
national anthem, worked as the organist at the Old School.
Ola New Synagogue: One of the oldest and most valuable European and world Jewish
monuments, and the oldest synagogue in Central Europe. The early Gothic building dates
from the end of the 13th century with rich stonework and antique furnishings (wrought iron
Gothic grille and chandeliers). It is today the main synagogue of the Jewish community in
Prague.
Synagogue in Libeň: A three-aisled neo-Romanticist building with a rectangular floor
plan, the original Libeň Synagogue was opened in 1858. Since its renovation, it has been
used as a site for cultural activities in the area of fine art, theatre and music. Located at the
exit from the Palmovka metro station on line B, it hosts temporary exhibitions, primarily of
contemporary Czech art, and occasional theatre performances.
Meg
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Venerdì 09 marzo
Visita di Hradcany (Castello di Praga) e del quartiere Mala Strana (Piccola Città): Torre
del ponte, U Luzickeho, Seminare,muro di John Lennon, isola di Kampa, Collina di
Petrin.
Prague Castle is a big and complex castle in Prague, the capital of the Czech
Republic,dating from the 9th century and it is an important symbol for this city.The castle is
the official office of the president of the Czech Republic and, in a hidden room inside it,
there are the Bohemian Crown Jewels. The castle is among the most visited tourist
attraction in Prague, attracting over 1.8 million visitors annually. The history of the castle
began in 870 when its first walled building, the Church of the Virgin Mary,. Bohemia was
founded in the castle, next to the church of St. George. A Romanesque palace was
erected here during the 12th century. King Ottocaro II of Bohemia improved the
fortifications and rebuilt the royal palace for the purposes of representation and lodging. In
the 14th century, under the reign of Charles IV, the royal palace was rebuilt in Gothic style
and the castle fortifications were strengthened. During the Hussite Wars and in the
following decades, the castle was not inhabited. In 1485, King Ladislaus II Jagello began
to rebuild the castle. The massive Vladislav Hall was added to the Royal Palace during the
reconstruction. New defense towers were also built on the north side of the castle.
A great fire in 1541 destroyed large parts of the castle.
The last major rebuilding of the castle was carried out by Empress Maria Theresa in the
second half of the 18th century. Following his abdication in 1848, and the succession of his
nephew, Franz Joseph, to the throne, the former emperor, Ferdinand I, made Prague
Castle his home.
During the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia in World War II, Prague Castle became the
headquarters of Reinhard Heydrich, the Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia.
According to a popular rumor, he is said to have placed the Bohemian crown on his head;
old legends say a usurper who places the crown on his head is doomed to die within a
year.Less than a year after assuming power, on May 27, 1942, Heydrich was attacked
during Operation Anthropoid, by British-trained Slovak and Czech soldiers while on his
way to the Castle, and died of his wounds - which became infected - a week later. Klaus,
his firstborn son, died the next year in a traffic accident, also in line with the legend.
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After the liberation of Czechoslovakia and the coup in 1948, the Castle housed the offices
of the communist Czechoslovak government. After Czechoslovakia split into the Czech
Republic and Slovakia, the castle became the seat of the Head of State of the new Czech
Republic. Giada
Royal Palace
The original residence building, mostly wooden, was built at Prague Castle already at the
turn of the 9th and 10th century. Its exact location is not documented. It was prince
Soběslav in the 12th century who had a stone Romanesque palace built right next to a
new fortification wall. Remains of it have been preserved in the underground till the
present times. The palace was adjoined on its eastern side by All Saints' Chapel, which
was consecrated in 1185. Stella, Lorenzo, Giorgia
IL MURO DI JOHN LENNON
Una delle attrazioni turistiche meno
convenzionali di Praga si trova nel
cuore del Piccolo Quartiere: è il John
Lennon Wall, un muro interamente
ricoperto di murales, perlopiù ispirati
alle canzoni dei Beatles, che si sono
stratificati e accavallati nel tempo. Il
murales di John Lennon non ha solo
un forte impatto visivo, ma ha anche
un importante significato simbolico: è
infatti una sorta di monumento open
air alla pace e alla fratellanza. Ormai
quasi interamente dipinto dai turisti che vogliono lasciare un segno del loro passaggio, è
certamente poco rappresentativo della fervente street art ceca ma è ancora amatissimo
dai praghesi per la sua storia.
Pare sia stato uno studente messicano l’autore del primo graffito dedicato a John Lennon
su quello che poi sarebbe diventato famoso come il John Lennon Wall. Il celebre leader
dei Beatles era diventato all’indomani del suo assassinio un simbolo universale di pace e
fratellanza; il suo messaggio di speranza e libertà aveva una forte presa sui giovani
praghesi, che negli anni Ottanta vivevano ancora sotto un soffocante regime comunista.
Iniziarono così a moltiplicarsi graffiti, frasi e disegni ispirati al cantante e ai suoi ideali che
non tardarono ad essere notati, e malvisti, dal regime comunista, secondo il quale
potevano avere una connotazione politica.
Si innescò allora una battaglia a colpi di vernice tra i giovani praghesi, disposti a
continuare a dipingere il muro nonostante i divieti, e la polizia locale che periodicamente lo
ripuliva. Per questo il muro è tanto amato dai praghesi. Nel 2014 fu un gruppo di street
artists a cancellare i dipinti coprendoli di pittura bianca e la scritta ” “The wall is over”, che
fu poi cambiata in “The war is over”. Oggi il muro rappresenta un simbolo universalmente
riconosciuto di pace, amore e fratellanza. Gioele
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LEGENDS
Rabbi Loew and his Golem
The golem was made to serve the people of Jewish Quarter. Loew is said to have
fashioned the creature from clay from the banks of the Vltava and brought it to life by
inserting a capsule, known as a shem, which contained a scroll, in the golem’s mouth.
Whoever inserted the shem had control over the golem.
Loew mainly had the golem do good works, helping the people in the community and
protecting them from attacks. According to one version, the golem fell in love with a young
woman called Sarah, and would follow her around like a puppy, albeit an immensely
strong, gigantic, clay puppy.
On the sabbath, Lowe would remove the shem and the golem would remain motionless.
One day, the Rabbi forgot, and without his master there, the golem became destructive,
basically trashing the Rabbi’s home.
Loew returned and removed the shem and had the now lifeless golem placed in the attic of
the New Old Synagogue, where it’s said it remained, slowing turning into a mound of dry
dust. In another account, on the occasion of Loew’s one hundredth birthday, he went to
see the golem. He was shocked to see that his creation was merely a head, and the head
was crying. When the old man leaned down to wipe the tears away, he died.
Alessandro
The Legend of Dalibor (Dalibor's Violin)
The name of tower of Dalibor (daliborka) at the Prague Castle is connected to one of
Prague's best-known legends, which was also made into by Bedrich Smetana in 1868.
According to this legend, a man called Dalibour from Kozojedy, a small town near
Litomerice, was sentenced to death and imprisoned in this tower for giving shelter to some
rebellious peasants. While waiting for the fatal day, Dalibor would play his violin and his
music was so beautiful that all the people of Prague were moved and enchanted and the
local authorities didn't dare announce the date of the execution. People knew that the
generous Dalibor was dead when his violin fell forever silent.
Folco
The Story of Horymír and Šemík
When the Czech lands were ruled by prince Křesomysl, a farmer named Horymír lived in
the village of Neumětely. He had a white horse of extraordinary intelligence called Šemík.
Due to Křesomysl's obsession to find treasures that were said to be hidden underground,
people were encouraged to abandon farming and to become miners. Horymír was
unhappy with Křesomysl's rule and warned that neglecting farming would result in famine.
His protests were not liked by the miners who one day set Horymír's property on fire.
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Horymír and his followers in turn burned down the miners' village. Horymír was punished
and sentenced for execution. When he was asked his last wish, he requested one last ride
around the castle grounds on his beloved horse Šemík. His wish was granted. When
Horymír got on his white horse, he whispered something in his ear. Šemík ran to the
ramparts, jumped over them and slid down the cliff. When the on-lookers got to the
ramparts, they were astonished to see Horymír and Šemík on the other side of the Vltava,
galloping towards Neumětely.
The miraculous jump exhausted Šemík. The dying horse spoke to Horymír in a human
voice and asked for a tomb to be built for him. Horymír did as the horse wished. The tomb
has since disappeared but Šemík is said to be sleeping in the Vyšehrad rock, ready to
come out when his help is needed again.
Filippo
The origin of Prague
The origin of Prague goes back to the 7th century and the Slavic Princess Libuše, a
women of great beauty and wisdom who possessed prophetic powers . Libuše and her
husband, prince Přemysl, ruled peacefully over the Czech lands from the hill of Vyšehrad.
A legend says that one day Libuše had a vision. She stood on a cliff overlooking the
Vltava, pointed to a forested hill across the river , and proclaimed: " I see a great city
whose glory will touch the stars. (" Vidím město veliké, jehož slála hvězd se dotýkati
bude.") She instructed her people to go and build a castle where a man was building the
threshold ( in Czech práh ) of a house . "And because even the great noblemen must bow
low before a threshold, you shall give it the Premyslid dynasty.”
Ken
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Celebrities
Alfonso Mucha
Alfons Maria Mucha was born on July 24, 1860 in Ivančice, Moravia (a region of today's
Czech Republic, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire). The son of a court usher,
Ondřej Mucha (1825-1891), and his second wife Amálie Malá (1822-1880), a woman of
humble origin but of great intelligence, Alfons already very young revealed his artistic
vocation, which manifested itself in his many drawings of reality around him: flowers,
horses, monkeys were all subjects that captured his fervent attention, becoming in this
way recurrent in his very first graphic production.A decisive impulse, in any case, was
given to him by the religious formation he received on the initiative of his mother, a devout
Catholic practitioner. The young Mucha, in fact, spent several years at the church of the
Assumption of the Virgin Mary of Ivančice, where he was acolyte and choir; it was his
talent in singing that allowed him, at the age of eleven, to go to the choir of the Cathedral
of Saints Peter and Paul, in the city of Brno, where he also completed secondary studies
at the Slovanské gymnasium. In Brno, the young Alfons grew up in the patriotic
environment that belonged to the Czech national revival movement, from which he drew
his love for the Moravian civilization and its traditions; also the ecclesiastical environment
left deep traces on his imagination, animated by the imposing mass of cathedrals, by the
penetrating aroma of incense, by the sound of the bells and generally by impressions that
accompanied him throughout his life and marked in a particularly intense way the artistic
production.
Martina Navratilova
She is the greatest single, double and mixed double player who has ever lived. He is the
only person in the world to have won, in all existing specialties, all Grand Slam
tournaments and WTA Championships, in addition to the Fed Cup [2]. Among his records
he also holds that of Wimbledon wins in singles, with 9 successes, the highest number of
matches played and won in singles and the highest number of titles won in singles and
doubles. With Chris Evert, he generated one of the most famous rivalries in history: the
two, in fact, have faced 80 times, including 14 in Slam finals, with the Czechoslovakian
tennis player who won 43 of these matches.
Zdenk Zeman
Zdeněk Zeman was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, in a residential area on the banks of
the Vltava on May 12, 1947. His father Karel was a primary hospital while his mother,
Květuše Vycpálková, was a housewife. [2] It will be his maternal uncle, Čestmír Vycpálek,
former Juventus coach, to transmit his passion for sport. From 1966 to 1968, with his sister
Jarmila, he left his uncle Čestmír in Palermo to visit him and spend the summer holidays
together, but in this period the political uprising broke out, leading to the so-called Prague
Spring. In the night between 20 and 21 August 1968 the USSR sends military units to
restore order. This political instability leads him to move and remain permanently in Italy.
Here he will obtain Italian citizenship in 1975, as well as his degree, at the ISEF in
Palermo with a thesis on sports medicine, with honors. Pietro e Stefano
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PRAGUE ZOO
Thanks to its unique position, Prague Zoo is considered one of the most beautiful zoos in
the world.
The rugged terrain offers over 10 km of walking trails through such exotic exhibitions as
the Africa house, the indonesian jungle, or the Valley of the Elephants.
This beautiful slice of nature is a popular destination for families with children who can pet
and feed animals at the Children's Zoo.
Prague Zoo had predecessors in the field of lawyers.
The Lion's Court at the Prague Castle at the time of Rudolf II was probably the most
famous, it did not only breed lions as heraldic animals (a lion, a symbol of strenght and
courage was adopted as an attribute of the Czech state), but also other unique species
such as orangutans and allegedly now extinct Dodo.
The first zoo in the Czech Republic was established in 1919 in Liberec thanks the German
Science Association. The Prague zoological garden is credited to professor Jiri Janda, an
excellent zoologist and ornithologist, author of works on vertebrate animals, especially
birds, biology high-school teather and a member of the advisory board of the Ministry of
Education.
The garden was opened to the public on 28 September 1931. At that time the zoo had
over 200 individual animals.
In the years following the opening of the garden the Prague Zoo acquired the first cheetah,
Asian elephant, hippopotamus hippopotamus, rhinoceros rhino and pygmy hippopotamus.
The Prague Zoo was the first zoo in the world managed to rear a polar bear.
In 1981 hippo twins were born; it is also notable for rearing dozens of cubs of pelicans and
flamingos and breeding of red pandas, antelopes, maned wolf, Pere David's deer, ostrich
rhea. Etc.
Floods in 2002 affected the Prague Zoo in an extreme way. Water flooded the whole lower
part of the garden and within a few hours over 1000 animals including 750 birds, 150
reptiles and over 100 mammals had to be evacuated.
Water caused enormous damages and unfortunately some animals died. 80 birds, 9
mammals, including an elephant, two hippos, 1 gorilla, 1 lion, 1 bear, 1 seal and 2 Liberian
Pygmies Drowned or had to be euthanized.
The damage to property was estimated at CZK 125 million
Luca
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