Saint George, Bronze equestrian statue at Prague Castle, Czech Republic
The Statue of Saint George is a bronze equestrian sculpture in the third courtyard of Prague Castle. It shows the saint as a knight in plate armour with a lance, killing a dragon, and it stands on a craggy rock carved with plants and small animals. The original from the 14th century was replaced by a copy in 1967.
The bronze was cast in 1373, according to a tradition recorded by Bohuslav Balbín, by the Transylvanian Saxon brothers Martin and Georg of Clussenberch, today's Cluj; Václav Hájek instead names Václav Špehéř. The brothers' other works stood in Oradea until they were melted down during the 17th-century Turkish wars. The statue was damaged by fire in 1541 and lost its horse's head in 1562, after which bell-founder Tomáš Jaroš recast the horse and dragon.
The figure of Saint George on horseback with a lance represents a medieval belief in divine protection against evil that was widespread across European societies. This portrayal reflects the spiritual values that shaped religious art in castle settings.
The statue is located in an open courtyard and can be viewed throughout the day without entering any building. You can walk around it freely and examine the bronze details from different angles, and the flat stone ground makes it accessible for all visitors.
The original 1373 bronze was replaced by a copy in 1967; the original is now shown in the Story of Prague Castle exhibition in the Old Royal Palace. Other copies stand in the Lapidarium of the National Museum and in Cluj, Budapest and Szeged.
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