1 . S T
N I C H O L A S
C H U R C H
MALOSTRANSKÉ NÁM Ě STÍ
The Church of St Nicholas , the most famous
Baroque church in Prague , stands along with
the former Jesuit college in the centre of the
Lesser Town Square . A Gothic parish church
consecrated by Prague Bishop Tobiáš in 1283
stood at the site until 1743 ; nearby was the
Romanesque Rotunda of St Wenceslas , which
had been built in memory of the miracle that
occurred during the transfer of Wenceslas ’
body from Stará Boleslav to Prague Castle , as
mentioned in medieval legends . Today ’ s
Church of St Nicholas is one of the most
valuable Baroque buildings north of the Alps .
Construction lasted approximately one
hundred years , and three generations of great
Baroque architects – father , son and son - in -
law – worked on the church : Kryštof
Dientzenhofer , Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer and
Anselmo Lurago .
The Jesuit Thomas Schwarz built the small
and main organs as well as many others in
Bohemia . Built in 1745 - 47 , the main organ has
over 4 , 000 pipes up to six metres in length . W .
A . Mozart played this organ during his stay in
Prague as a guest of the Dušeks .
The Church of St Nicholas is a superb example
of High Baroque architecture , a building that
astonishes visitors with its size and
monumental interior . As the most prominent
and distinctive landmark in the Lesser Town ,
no panoramic view of the city would be
complete without its silhouette below Prague
Castle .