Prague is famous for many attractions. Including the oldest clock in the world that is still working. The medieval clock installed on the tower has been of particular interest for several centuries. By looking at the clock you can determine not only the exact time in Prague, but also Babylonian, Old Bohemian and sidereal time, as well as the phases of the Moon and the zodiac constellation. There's even a calendar dial that identifies weekdays, weekends, and Religious holidays. The Orloj Astronomical Clock of Prague is an incredible achievement of medieval astrology.
Tourists come to Prague and always come to the Old Town Square to look at the figures that come to life and come out of the clock. This action takes place every hour, and on holidays they organize a real light show. All performances are performed in a medieval style, and this creates an incredible atmosphere in the square. The clock on Old Town Square constantly attracts a crowd of people, so you can even watch everything from a cafe. But you need to take into account that the menu here is expensive compared to other areas of Prague. Many tourists and local residents This is not the first time they have watched the clock work, but every time theatrical performance it arouses genuine interest in them.
In 1338 Old city received the right to build his own town hall. A building was purchased in the central square, and later the tower was completed. The main decoration of the tower was the astronomical clock, but it was not properly maintained. As a replacement, mechanical and astrological clocks were built by Orloy. The history of Prague chimes begins in the 15th century. The clock in Prague was so well made by master Mikulas of Kadány according to the design of the famous mathematician and astronomer Schindel that it is now the oldest working clock.
But modern look The watch was not made immediately, but gradually by different masters. For example, the silhouette of Death was added only 80 years after the clock was established. The clock was repaired many times and improved, because local authorities did not always care about its condition.
And in the 18th century they even wanted to throw away the watch because they could not find a suitable craftsman who would undertake the repair of the watch. IN late XIX century, the artist painted the clock, and added another item - a rooster.
During the war, a shell hit the town hall and all the figures burned along with the wooden dial. But the clock was not thrown away, but repaired and left as a historical heritage of Prague culture. The watch restoration experts spent so much time hard work, that many parts were able to be completely restored. The entire mechanism remained as the creator intended, and changes were made only to decoration hours. Now the clock is closely monitored and the necessary repairs are carried out, because the Prague chimes will forever remain in the history of Prague. And what would Old Town Square be like without a crowd of tourists?
The astronomical dial symbolizes the geocentric system of the world (although the opposite has already been proven), but the data is still accurate. And this rather serves as confirmation that society is constantly developing, science is becoming more advanced, but time does not stop, both in the 15th century and in the 21st.
Legend of Orloy
Along with its widespread popularity, Prague clocks are shrouded in secrets and legends. And Orloj is considered one of the most mysterious and mystical attractions of the capital of the Czech Republic - Prague. And this is not surprising, because in the Middle Ages science was not so developed that craftsmen could create such high-quality and correct astronomical clocks. And even more so, those that will work until our time. Therefore, the Czech people speculated possible outcome. According to legends, Orloy will stop working only when the state declines or before a war that will lead to the degradation of the nation. Czechs associate watches with their own history, so they treat them with reverence. This coincidence or mystery still remains unsolved. The clock breaks during a difficult period in the Czech Republic.
Since the Middle Ages, Orla has been endowed with evil powers. The people of the 15th century can be understood, because alchemists, astrologers, scientists and prophets were involved during construction. And it was this category of people that was feared and endowed with evil powers. The common man of that time did not understand how a watch could provide so much accurate data without the help of outside forces. But even now this is controversial, because the clock not only shows the time, but also provides information about the astronomical cycle, the position of the Sun and the Moon. The scientist himself who developed the watch says that everyone sees and understands as much as they can. And he doesn’t need any other understanding.
There are also legends that the clock is a symbol of the Devil's eye, which counts down to the end of the world. There were legends that anyone who looked into this eye was doomed. Therefore, some church leaders were afraid to even look at Orloy. But these are just legends; there were people from universities who understood more than the exact time.
There is another legend that is associated with any person who damages the watch. Madness and damnation await these people. Many emphasize that even good changes appearance will lead to serious consequences. After the artist painted the dial, his relatives claimed that he began to show signs of mental illness. There are legends that at the last stage of the disease the artist walked around Orloy with candles. These are just legends, but the value of the Orloj astrological clock in Prague remains unchanged.
One more interesting fact there are 12 animals around the dial. There is a lion at the top. In mythology, it is a protector and a symbol of valor. He is followed by other protectors or companions, and then by evil forces and at the very bottom a face with the personification of the Devil. And along with this world, people are displayed on the clock. Here is the Miser, and the Mage, and the Skeleton, and the Turk. People did not want to offend either the feelings of evil forces or living people. That's why everyone is shown here.
The sculpture of the archangels protects the Prague Orloj chimes from negative influence, because this could affect the entire Czech Republic. People in the Middle Ages were afraid of the clock on the town hall and attributed mystical signs to it, but now the Czechs are afraid of losing their symbol.
Theater performance
On the square, from 8:00 to 20:00, the Prague Astronomical Clock on Old Town Square begins its permanent theatrical performance, which has captured the hearts of several generations of people. The main theme that is played out is medieval history.
Start of the show
The bell of the Death sculpture rings and one by one the apostles begin to appear in special windows. The last one to appear in the window is Christ. After the main characters of the action have appeared before the audience, a new action begins on the side of the astronomical clock and calendar dial. New heroes begin to appear, which are characteristic only of Czech astronomical clocks. Then Death comes into play. She flips hourglass and gives a signal to Turk. He tries to resist Death with expressed indignation. At this point, the Miser takes out his wallet and flips it around to feel the coins. And appears main symbol punishment of sinners - an angel with a sword. The performance ends with the crow of a rooster.
Some tourists come here in search of secret meaning, others - to enjoy a vibrant performance. Unfortunately, the theatrical performance has already lost the sacred meaning that was originally intended, but this does not stop tourists. Now it is a vibrant show featuring medieval figures and a huge Prague square. Therefore, the popularity of Prague chimes is not falling, but rather growing. After all, the astrological clock is constantly becoming more and more old.
Address on the map
- Staroměstské náměstí
How to get there?
The Prague Astronomical Clock is located on Old Town Square.
There are several options to get to the square:
- by metro to Staroměstská or Náměstí Republiky station;
- by tram to any of the stops: Náměstí Republiky, Dlouhá třída, Jindřišská, Staroměstská, Právnická fakulta.
You can also get there on foot or by taxi, because the square is located in the center of the Old part of the city.
Working hours
Orloy operates every day, but the chimes can only be heard between 9:00 and 23:00. Especially exciting performance on holidays.
Master Ganush explained what all this was for, talked about the movement of the Moon, Earth and Sun, and taught how to determine time and date. For a long time, people flocked to the clock to look at the unprecedented spectacle. The watchmakers were especially surprised. Master Ganush kept his word and created a clock that was not found in any city!
However, the watchmaker did not become proud, he continued to sit in his small room and draw new drawings, and his assistant excitedly told people that his master was preparing a new work that would be even better and more amazing than the Old Town Clock. The advisors of the Old Town found out about this, and this news worried them, they thought that Master Hanush was preparing a new clock for another city, they did not want the glory of the Prague Astronomical Clock to fade, and they began to think about how to prevent this from happening. Some suggested taking a written promise from the master not to make any more similar watches, others suggested taking a verbal promise from the master, but all this seemed insufficiently reliable to the advisers, until one of them said: “Why should we demand promises that we can’t hope for anyway? Do we want to have the best chimes in the world? Then you don’t have to take anything into account, but take advantage of the only opportunity to interfere with Master Ganush in his further work. We won’t do anything bad to him, the city will take care of him, even though he won’t work anymore.” Everyone was afraid of such a proposal, but that adviser convinced everyone.
And then one night, Master Ganush sat in his room, drew drawings and was calm, not feeling the approach of danger. There was a knock on the door, the master was frightened by the sharp blows, and with senile steps he walked towards the door to bolt it, but did not have time. Two people with their faces covered burst into the room and knocked the master down; he hit his head on the table and lost consciousness.
The assistant who came in the morning found his master lying in a fever on the bed, the old man’s eyes were blindfolded, he was tossing about on the bed and asking to turn on the light. The frightened deputy hurried to ask neighbors if anyone knew what had happened that night. And the old man kept asking to turn on the light. They carefully removed the bandage and were horrified: they realized that the night visitors had deprived the master of his vision with a hot iron.
The news of what happened spread throughout Prague, the people demanded that the villains be punished, but they could not be found. Old Master For a long time he was between life and death, his drawings were covered with dust. The assistant was waiting for the master to speak to him, and the old man was still wondering who could punish him like that and for what. I thought that the living could not do this and assumed that it was dark forces. The master had nightmares, at night he screamed and suffered. The assistant took pity on the old man and told him about what they were whispering about in the city, that no one would look for the criminal, and that he was somewhere nearby. Master Ganush understood everything, he sat sad for several days, sometimes he got up in a fit of anger, took a saw or a preparation tool, then put it back in its place.
And one day, the emboldened master asked his assistant to take him to the chimes. The apprentice was delighted and thought that the master’s desire to live and work was returning. They walked across the square, people stopped respectfully and greeted Master Ganush. At that moment, several advisers came out of the town hall, but they quickly turned away and pretended that they had not noticed the old man.
The watchmaker asked his assistant to take him to the fourth, most difficult part of the chimes. It was very difficult for him to climb the narrow stairs, he could hardly stand on his feet and tried to catch his breath. When he had rested, he froze in silence, listened carefully to the quiet voice of the mechanism, and it even seemed to the assistant that the master faintly smiled and turned pink. Then he suddenly frowned, and later the assistant recalled that just at that moment the bell sounded when death was taken for him.
Astronomical clock Orloj, or as they are also called the Prague Astronomical Clock, is one of the symbols of the Czech capital. Tourists constantly crowd around them, hoping to see a small colorful performance that takes place every hour.
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The first mention of the Orloy clock dates back to 1402. Since then, they have gone through countless reconstructions, restorations, and modernizations, but they have never left Old Town Square. It is difficult to say what the watch originally looked like. It is known for sure that in 1410, thanks to the efforts of the astronomer and mathematician Jan Schindel, they became mechanical and acquired the legendary astronomical dial. 80 years later, in 1490, the clock was modernized by master Hanush, who added a lower dial to it, and also “brought polish” by decorating it with Gothic sculptures. In the 17th century, they were accompanied by figurines of the apostles. As a result, the mechanism turned out to be really complex.
Responsible for maintaining the watch in good condition special person, however, find worthy specialist it didn't always work out. Because of this, the chimes often broke down, and sometimes stopped altogether for a while by order of the king. In 1945, the clock faced a serious test - it burned down along with the Old Town Hall. Perhaps this was one of the most tragic moments for the residents of Prague during the Second World War. Within three years the best masters Europe was assembled by Orloy literally piece by piece. As a result, today 75% of the parts in watches are old, original, and 25% are new. However, the mechanism was completely preserved - it remained the same as many years ago.
Astronomical dial and statues
The Orloy astronomical dial is a whole system showing time in 4 dimensions.
1. Old Czech, the outer circle with Schwabacher numbers is responsible for it. It is easy to see that it moves relative to the main dial. This is due to the fact that in old Prague the countdown of the day began at sunset, which means this happened at different time years in different ways.
2. Central European time - the second (if counting from the outside) circle with Roman numerals is responsible for it.
3. Arabic numerals The third circle indicates sidereal time and indicates daylight hours.
4. And finally, the most complex measurement is the so-called Babylonian time. It is indicated by the Zodiac ring moving around planet Earth (blue circle in the center). Thanks to it, you can find out in which constellation you are located. this moment Sun.
The dial is surrounded by 12 animals - real and fictional. They appeared here not by chance, each has its own meaning, many are called upon to perform a protective function. On the sides there are 4 sculptures: a magician, a miser, a skeleton and a Turk, which are the personification of human vices. The lower dial of Orloy represents the Manes calendar. There are also 4 sculptures around it: Archangel Michael, philosopher, chronicler and astronomer. Every hour from 8-00 to 20-00 the astronomical dial of the Orloy clock turns into a place where real theatrical action takes place. Sculptures of Christ and the 12 apostles appear in the upper windows, and then a real “struggle” against human vices unfolds.
Where are they located and how to get to the Prague Astronomical Clock
The Orloj astronomical clock is located on Old Town Square, right on the tower of the Town Hall of the same name. You can get here by metro (the nearest station is Staromestska), trams No. 1, 2, 14, 17, 18, 25, 53 (the stop has the same name as the metro station) or bus 194 (stop Staromestske namest? - it is closest to area).
Hello, friends! The Orloj clock in Prague deserves to be described in detail. The famous chimes of the Czech Republic have outlasted all similar clock mechanisms in the world in terms of duration of their existence. Created at the beginning of the 15th century, they still function and show Central European time, as well as Old Bohemian and Babylonian.
But spectators rush to the Prague Orloj not at all in order to find their bearings in time. The astronomical clock is unique. They are simultaneously a work of art, a scientific-historical object and entertainment for visitors where they are located.
It would be more logical before going into detailed descriptions, provide an opportunity to look directly at the chimes, their action, and the many among which they are located. A short video will allow you to quickly plunge into the thick of things:
And now we can dwell on some details - who is involved in the astronomical clock, what symbols surround them, and why they are famous:
- How the Prague Orloj came to be
- Astronomical disk and time determination
- Symbolic images of chimes
Who and when created Pražský orloj
The first chimes appeared at the end of the 14th century, when Wenceslas IV ordered the installation of a striking mechanism on a Gothic tower that would emit signals after an hour had passed.
A little more time passed, and in 1410 the town hall tower was equipped with an amazing astronomical clock.
Orloj was created by watchmaker Mikulas from Kadan, guided by the calculations and drawings of mathematician and astronomer Jan Schindel.
Master Hanush was called the Prague watchmaker Jan Ruže, who was directly related to the chimes of the town hall, but somewhat later. Master Ganush had not yet been born by the time Orloy not only regularly beat time intervals, but also gained European fame.
New facts regarding the author of the Prague Orloj have been discovered recently - after 1980. This is how history can lead us by the nose... For centuries, Prague residents believed that Hanush created the chimes, and passed on from mouth to mouth legends about how cruel city councilors ordered the master to be blinded so that he could not repeat his invention. Fortunately, this sophisticated medieval cruelty turned out to be only a legend.
But a document was found that recorded a generous reward to the inventor of the Prague Astronomical Clock, Mikulas from Kadan. The master was given a house at the Havel Gate and 3,000 Prague groschen, which was unusual at that time a large sum. Moreover, an annual salary of 600 groschen was assigned and guarantees were provided for property - in fact, copyright was protected.
The astronomical disk and how to determine ordinary time
For a long time, Orloy consisted of only one disk – the astronomical one. Actually, the mechanism was created for the needs of astrology, and not to tell residents the time. An astronomical disk is a special moving map of the sky, with which you can determine the position of the Sun, Moon, as well as their location relative to the zodiac constellations.
Imagine, this whole colossus is moving, displaying a lot of information, and we, modern residents, look at this disk and don’t even know how to figure out what time it is))) But now we’ll figure it out.
The Earth is depicted exactly in the center. The upper part of the disk corresponds to daytime - it is bluish in color. And the dark circle at the bottom is night. Twilight is indicated between day and night orange. Superimposed on this entire picture is a ring on which the signs of the zodiac are depicted, but the ring has nothing to do with determining time.
The present time is indicated by an arrow with the symbol of the Sun and a golden Hand. The only catch is that this hand simultaneously points to three numerical scales. And where is the one we need? Along the edge of the disk there are numbers in the form of some “squiggles” - this is Old Czech time. It is interesting that in this coordinate system the day ended with the onset of twilight.
The following digital symbols in Roman notation, also placed in a circle, are European time. Now you can easily determine what time I captured the astronomical disk in the photo.
There are also Arabic numerals - they are lower than the Roman ones and are depicted weaker. Arabic numerals make it possible to determine Babylonian time. It also includes that grid of golden curved lines diverging from the center of the disk. Fortunately, it is of no use to us, and there is no need to delve into these medieval indicators.
What else I would like to add regarding the installation of the astronomical clock is to mention the merit of the architect Petr Parler, who created a stone extension to the town hall where the chimes were placed. The stone decoration around the astronomical disk is also his work.
I repeat, determining time is almost a side function of Orloy. The main thing is to track the movement of celestial bodies. And on the astronomical disk, the symbols of the Sun and Moon move not only in a circle, but also along the arrow. The disk with the zodiac also moves... From all this, experts read information. But in the Middle Ages they did not try to determine minutes. Residents of that time were not interested in such trifles.
In 1490, Orla was supplemented with another disc. The disk contained a calendar, including all 365 days in the form of divisions along the rim of the disk. The appearance of the calendar is precisely correlated with the activities of the master Ganush.
Each evening the calendar disk was turned by hand by one division, a practice that continued until 1566. Since then, the movement of the calendar board has been mechanized.
The attractive calendar disk that we see now appeared much later. IN mid-19th centuries, the clock needed major repairs. A collection of money among the population of the Czech Republic was announced for this worthy cause. 4,265 gold were collected. And the best Prague artist of that time, Josef Manes, took on the design of the calendar disk for a modest remuneration. And although we see today only a recreated copy, it is close to the original:
Manes depicted the coat of arms of Prague in the center of the disk, and around it the original signs of the zodiac. 12 golden disks with images, which are arranged in a circle, make up the series of paintings “Twelve Months”. Each painting represents the features of the medieval rural life during a certain month. The day designation, as in earlier versions, is located on the outer ring of the disk. Where can I see what day it is? Look at the mark with a golden line at the top of the calendar. Both the date and the day of the week are indicated there.
Symbolic images of chimes
Of great interest are the figures installed on both sides of the astronomical and calendar disk. The sculptures near the top disk, as you noticed while watching the video, are set in motion during the chiming clock. It is believed that these images represent 4 vices, although this opinion raises questions.
On the right are the Skeleton and the Turk. The skeleton symbolizes death and reminds of its inevitability. Can this allegory be attributed to vices? This image appeared on the chimes first, back in the 16th century.
The placement of the turbaned figure next to the Skeleton is even more mysterious. The Czech Republic in the Middle Ages often used the image of the Turk in a negative context. So, for example, the plot “a raven pecks out a Turk’s eye” appeared on the coat of arms of the Schwarzenberg family. Perhaps, in this case, the image of the Turk denotes vicious characteristics.
To the left of the astronomical disk there are more clear images. Allegories of stinginess and vanity are established here:
Vanity peers into the mirror, Stinginess shakes a bag of money. However, there are disagreements in the interpretation of these images. It is assumed that the one on the far left is the Magician, who studies the invisible worlds, which is associated with knowledge, not vice.
Below, near the calendar disk, the Philosopher and Archangel Michael are located on the left, and the Astronomer and Chronicler on the right.
These images of Pražský orloj are always in sight. But if you watched the video, you noticed the procession of the apostles, which takes place during the mini-presentation of the chimes. The windows above the astronomical disk on both sides of the sculpture of the Angel open and 12 disciples of Christ pass in front of us. And the whole action ends with the cry of the golden Rooster.
The appearance of the figurines of the apostles is associated with the reconstruction of the chimes in 1659. The figures are made of wood, so they had to be restored several times. The current company of apostles was created by the sculptor Vojtech Sucharda.
The last of the images to be installed in its place was the Rooster. Prague residents heard it for the first time on December 31, 1882.
In conclusion, I would like to say that Prague Orloj is a mystery object. However, this is not surprising. Astronomical clocks were created with the purpose of displaying information that is not understandable to everyone. And they have such a long life that they cannot do without mysteries and legends. I assume, friends, that many of you have heard something interesting about the Prague Astronomical Clock. If so, tell us too.
Your euro guide Tatyana
Old Town Square is the very place in the historical district of Prague, bearing the poetic name Old Town, where residents of the city have traditionally gathered for many centuries to celebrate holidays and memorable dates. The main attraction of this square is the Old Town Hall, which has been decorated with world-famous Astronomical clock Orloj (Pražský orloj).
They saw the light of day in 1410, thanks to the efforts of Mikulas Kadan with the participation of Jan Schindel, an astronomer from Charles University. At that time, the watch, like most other watches, had one dial, but 80 years later, thanks to the famous Prague watchmaker Jan Rouge, who is better known as Master Hanush, a second dial was added in 1490, and Gothic sculptures appeared on the facade. And in the 17th century, the composition was supplemented with figures of the apostles and other characters.
These noticeable improvements contributed to the fact that the names of the above-described authors of the Prague Astronomical Clock were forgotten for a distant 450 years. This was facilitated by the legend of Master Hanuš, which was later popularized by the writer Alois Jirasek in one of the stories “Ancient Czech Tales”.
The Legend of the Orloy Astronomical Clock
As we learned earlier, master Hanush greatly improved the watch by adding a second dial and Gothic figures. It seemed that the master had the right to live and make good for the rest of his life, relying on the gratitude of the mayor. According to legend, the mayor came up with the idea that Master Ganush, known throughout the world for his work and the Astronomical Clock, could make a clock in another city, and perhaps it would be even better than the Old Town clock. This could not be allowed under any circumstances, so as not to weaken the greatness of Prague, a decision was made to blind the master. They came to the unsuspecting master at night unknown people wearing masks. They quietly crept into Ganush’s room, opening the door with their key, grabbed and blinded him, and one of them said, leaving: “Now you won’t make another clock!” The master survived, but could no longer work. For long hours he sat in the corner of his workshop and thought bitterly about the gratitude that was paid to him for his work. All of Prague discussed the terrible crime with horror, but the villains were never captured. The blinded Ganush quickly gave up, he was no longer recognized on the streets, and the primator and city councilors turned away when they met. When the master felt that he was dying, he asked his student to take him to the town hall, went up into it and, under the pretext that he was going to check the mechanism, managed to ruin the clock and it stopped. Legend has it that Master Hanush stepped into the clockwork, thereby stopping the clock and his life. The clock is still long years stood and no one could fix them. So the master finally took revenge on the ungrateful city for his blindness.
And today the Orloy watch, this truly unique and amazing creation of masters from the distant Middle Ages, has two dials. The upper dial is divided into several sectors. One of them traditionally shows the time - Old Bohemian and Central European. But other sectors are more original: dark brown, blue and light brown indicate the course of the day from have a bright day until the dark night, the sun moves through these sectors. Using the Prague chimes you can also find out where the Moon is or what sign of the Zodiac the Sun is currently passing through, as well as determine the days of the equinoxes. And the lower dial, in turn, is a calendar. And how in an ordinary calendar you can use it to find out what month or day it is. This dial was decorated with scenes from village life, thanks to the efforts of the artist Joseph Manes in 1865. But today you won’t be able to see the original work on the watch: it has been replaced by a copy. And in search of the original you will have to go to the Prague Museum.
This clock is also amazing because every hour you can see a small performance in a medieval style. The apostles located in the upper windows begin their movement, and Christ appears behind them. The figures of Death, Merchant, Turk, Proud Man and Angel with a sword located slightly lower on the sides begin to follow. It is curious that the Merchant was originally a Jew, but now the figure has been replaced for reasons of political correctness. The performance is not just a meaningless movement of figures, it has meaning. The apostles from above observe the vices of humanity, Death rings the bell, then the Angel lowers the sword.
Orloy watches are not just one of the oldest watches in the world. They have been working without breaking for six hundred years and are the main clock of the country and one of the most interesting sights of Prague.
Representation of shapes
If you want to attend the show, it takes place every hour from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Old Town Square in front of the clock.
Be careful - there are pickpockets not only in your city, but also in the capital of the Czech Republic.
600th anniversary of the Prague Astronomical Clock
