john – PragueLife! Magazine

A Rich Cultural History: St. Vitus’ Cathedral

On: March 9, 2017

In: Features, Prague Sights and Landmarks, Travel

Tagged: architect, architecture, bohemia, castle, cathedral, chapel, charles, culture, Czech, gothic, historical, history, jan, john, karel, king, mala strana, middle ages, moravia, prague, prague castle, roman, romanesque, saint, st., vitas

St. Vitus’ Cathedral This truly striking piece of architecture, similar to Notre Dame in Paris, is the work of centuries. It began as a chapel, and gradually grew to the soaring edifice so often photographed today. The full name of the cathedral is an impressive one: The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saints Vitus, Wenceslas, and Adalbert. In keeping with its hefty title, it is the largest cathedral in the Czech Republic. It was established by the legendary Wenceslas (Vaclav) I of Bohemia, the murdered duke who was the inspiration for the 19th-century Christmas carol “Good King Wenceslas”. In the beginning, the cathedral was a small Romanesque rotunda dedicated to St. Vitus. Prague itself was only a very small settlement in theRead more.

A Rich Cultural History: Prague and The John Lennon Wall

By: Erin Naillon

On: February 22, 2017

In: Features, Politics, Prague Sights and Landmarks

Tagged: art, attraction, beatles, death, demonstration, graffiti, imagine, john, lennon, paint, protest, protestors, revolution, street art, top, tourist, tribute, velvet, wall

The John Lennon Wall is one of Prague’s top sights. Even in the dead of winter, tourists flock to it to photograph themselves standing in front of the colorful graffiti. In the summer, everyone wants to add their own contribution to the wall, which has led to it being repainted white periodically. This is oddly reminiscent of the communist era. Originally, the wall was an important protest against the regime. The music of John Lennon and of The Beatles was forbidden in communist Czechoslovakia, but it was smuggled into the country (along with other Western music) and made a huge impact. The Beatles were very popular in Czechoslovakia, as indeed they still are, and the fact that their music wasRead more.