Saint John of Nepomuk, Bronze statue on Charles Bridge, Prague, Czech Republic.
The Statue of John of Nepomuk on Charles Bridge in Prague is a bronze figure cast in Nuremberg in 1683 from a wooden model by Jan Brokoff. The saint wears a rochet and almuce with a biretta, holding a martyr's palm and a crucifix, five stars around his head. The sandstone base carries the donor's coat of arms and inscription, with reliefs of Wenceslas IV at the queen's confession and the saint's throwing from the bridge.
Sculptor Jan Brokoff created this bronze work in 1683 as the first religious sculpture placed on Charles Bridge during the Baroque period. Its installation marked the start of a tradition that later expanded to include an entire collection of saint figures on the bridge.
Saint John of Nepomuk appears here as the patron of bridges and silence, and people touch the statue and base reliefs to seek blessing and good fortune. This practice shows how the figure remains a living part of devotion for visitors crossing the bridge.
The statue sits on the north side of Charles Bridge and is easy to reach while crossing. The relief on the base is within arm's reach and shows visible wear from countless touches by visitors over the centuries.
A bronze double-armed cross set into the bridge railing, closer to the Old Town between the Norbert and John the Baptist groups, marks the spot where John was reportedly thrown into the Vltava. Relics from the saint's body are kept in the railing beneath its marble plaque.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,155 contributors worldwide.
