St. George's Basilica, Romanesque church building at Prague Castle, Czech Republic
St. George's Basilica is a Romanesque church building within Prague Castle in Prague, Czech Republic, recognizable by its ochre-colored facade and two white stone towers of different widths. The three-aisled interior shows plain stone walls with rounded arches and narrow windows that give the space subdued lighting.
Duke Vratislaus I founded the church around 920 as the second place of worship on Prague Castle grounds, later transferring it to Benedictine nuns. After a fire in the 12th century, the building received its current Romanesque form with the two characteristic towers.
The name honours Saint George, whose dragon fight appears as a bas-relief on the south portal, carved around 1500 to a design by Benedikt Rejt, and as a relief in the shield of the pale Baroque facade. The abbesses of the adjoining convent held the right to crown Bohemian queens, a privilege recalled by the statue of Princess Mlada holding a crown on the facade.
The basilica sits in the eastern part of the castle grounds, clearly visible from Jiřské Square after passing the cathedral. Access follows the shared route through the castle, and the interior is open during most visiting tours of the complex.
The two towers carry nicknames: the slimmer northern one is called Eve, the sturdier southern one Adam. The southern tower rises above an added chapel with a small porch and apse, and the paired windows near the tops of both towers are visible from the castle courtyard.
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