The St. Vitus Cathedral is located on a hill that overlooks the city of Prague. When construction began in the 14th century, Prague was the third-largest city in the world after Rome and Constantinople. In this grand Gothic cathedral, kings have been crowned, married, and buried, and national treasures have been held.
As in the past, pilgrims continue to pay their respects to the church’s patron saints Wenceslaus, Vitus, and others represented within.
French master-builder Matthias of Arras brought with him the French Gothic style. He employed a system of harmonious proportions to underpin the overarching composition. The cathedral’s slender verticality is created by tall interior columns that form the central nave, and by ribbed vaulting that holds the seemingly weightless, high ceiling. On the exterior, carved stone spires top flying buttresses that support the walls, the pointed arched windows and portals, and the main façade.
A Gothic architect set the style of the cathedral, but it remained only half-completed for several centuries. A baroque spire was added to the south tower during the 18th century. Then, in the late 19th century,architect Josef Kranner took up the challenge, forging ahead with the building’s Gothic style. He and others who followed added the main nave and front façade, finally completing it in the early 20th century.
While architectural styles have come and gone, St. Vitus Cathedral’s inherent beauty stands as a testimony to the structural mastery and lofty interiors of the timeless Gothic aesthetic. The cathedral’s completion reflects the perseverance of a culture and its people.
James Howard Smith
Author
James Howard Smith, an architectural photographer, designer, and founder of Cartio, aims to inspire an appreciation of classic architecture.