Architecture Day: Prague - Judith Tower

A guided tour of the lower of the two Malostranska bridge towers with members of the Club for Old Prague and art historians.

The Judith Tower takes its name from the Judith Bridge, the predecessor of today's Charles Bridge. Built from ashlar masonry in Romanesque style in the second half of the 12th century, it underwent Renaissance modifications after 1591: crenellations were replaced with Renaissance gables, the facade was covered with sgraffito ashlar decoration featuring the symbol of Baphomet (a demonic creature with a goat's head), and new windows were cut through.

In the late 19th century, a sealed niche with a Romanesque relief appeared on the facade, previously hidden inside the first floor of an adjacent building of the former customs house. The relief depicts a kneeling youth handing something to or receiving something from an enthroned figure. The identity of the figures and the meaning of the scene remain unclear, but it is one of the finest works of Czech Romanesque sculpture, showing influences of French monumental sculpture.

Guided by: representatives of the Club for Old Prague, art historians