Kranner's fountain, Neo-Gothic fountain in Old Town, Prague 1, Czech Republic
Kranner's Fountain is a neo-Gothic monument in the park Národní probuzení on Smetanovo nábřeží in Prague's Old Town. A tall, dark stone spire with pinnacles rises from a shallow octagonal basin; around the base stand allegorical figures by Josef Max, and an equestrian statue of Emperor Francis I is set under a canopy.
The Czech provincial assembly decided in April 1835 to honour Emperor Francis I, and the foundation stone was laid in August 1845. The neo-Gothic fountain by architect Josef Kranner and sculptor Josef Max was unveiled on 30 May 1850. The emperor's bronze equestrian statue was removed in June 1919 and a modern copy was reinstalled on 29 August 2003.
The monument is also called Hold českých stavů (Homage of the Bohemian Estates). Around the equestrian statue stand figures of peace, abundance, science, art, industry, trade, ploughing and mining, and on the lower tier statues of the Bohemian regions and Prague. Karel Havlíček Borovský mocked it with the epigram "Kol dokola Čechů chlouba a uprostřed stojí trouba."
The fountain stands in the park of National Awakening on Smetanovo nábřeží, on the Old Town embankment, not near Wenceslas Square. It is a monument in an open park, so there are no set opening hours; the water basin is shallow and not intended for drinking.
The equestrian statue of Emperor Francis I was removed in June 1919 and stored in the National Museum's lapidarium; only a modern copy was set back into the fountain on 29 August 2003, when water was also reconnected.
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