Infant Jesus of Prague, Religious statue in Malá Strana, Czech Republic
The Infant Jesus of Prague is a wooden figure about 48 centimeters (19 inches) tall with a wax coating, dressed in royal garments that change according to religious celebrations. The figure stands inside a glass shrine at the Church of Our Lady Victorious in Malá Strana.
The figure was originally carved in Spain in 1556 and arrived in Prague through the marriage of María Maximiliana Manriquez de Lara to Bohemian nobleman Vratislav II. After the Thirty Years War, the damaged figure was found in 1637 by Father Cyril, who restored it.
People from around the world come to see how the robes change with the liturgical calendar, each visit revealing a different outfit. Visitors often light candles nearby and kneel to pray quietly or simply pause in silence before the figure.
The church opens daily with free entry, and the main entrance is about a five-minute walk from Malostranská metro station. A small museum next to the chapel displays robes and devotional items related to the figure.
The figure owns more than 100 robes donated by believers from around the world, carefully stored in a dedicated archive. Some of these robes date from the 17th century and were hand-embroidered with gold thread.
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