Saint Ivo, Baroque statue on Charles Bridge in Prague, Czech Republic
Saint Ivo stands on the south side of Charles Bridge and depicts a figure in clerical garments holding a book. This Baroque sandstone statue forms part of a series of thirty sculptures that decorate the historic bridge.
Sculptor Matthias Braun created this sandstone work in 1711 as part of an extensive sculptural decoration program for Charles Bridge. It belongs to a series of monuments installed along the crossing between 1683 and 1714.
Saint Ivo serves as the patron saint of lawyers and is honored by legal professionals and those seeking justice. The figure embodies compassion for vulnerable people, particularly orphans and the poor who had limited protection in Prague's society.
The statue remains accessible year-round as it sits along the public pedestrian pathway of Charles Bridge. Informational panels at the location offer additional details about the history and significance of the work.
The group is one of the few on the bridge carved by Matthias Braun, court sculptor to Emperor Leopold I; the same workshop produced the large sculptural groups elsewhere in Prague. The figure depicts Ivo of Kermartin, the 13th-century Breton lawyer canonized in 1347.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,791 contributors worldwide.
