Statue of Ivo of Kermartin, Charles Bridge

The Statue of Ivo of Kermartin on Charles Bridge is a Baroque sandstone sculpture standing on the south side of Prague's famous crossing, one of thirty statues added to the bridge around the turn of the 18th century and the only one among them commissioned by a specific university faculty rather than a church brotherhood or private donor.

Where exactly does the statue stand?

The monument stands on the south balustrade of Charles Bridge, closer to its eastern, Old Town end. Its coordinates are 50.086193, 14.413151 — walking from Old Town Square toward Malá Strana, it is among the first figures encountered on that side of the bridge.

Who made it and who paid for it?

The statue was carved in 1711 by Matthias Bernard Braun, one of the leading sculptors of Czech Baroque art, whose work appears at several points along the bridge. It was commissioned and paid for by the Faculty of Law of Charles University, a rare case of institutional rather than religious or private funding among the bridge's statues. The choice of saint was deliberate: Ivo of Kermartin is the patron saint of lawyers, and the faculty used the bridge's most visible public space to honor its own profession.

What does the sculptural group show?

Rather than a single standing figure, the monument is a multi-figure composition. Ivo appears in the robe and cap of an 18th-century judge, leaning down from a tall cylindrical pedestal toward figures pleading at his feet — a widow with a child and an old man. The scene refers to his reputation as a defender of poor litigants in court. Beside him stands an allegorical figure of Justice, blindfolded and holding a sword — together the figures turn the statue into a visual argument about impartial yet compassionate justice.

Who was Ivo of Kermartin?

Ivo Hélory was born on 17 October 1253 at the manor of Kermartin near Tréguier in Brittany, the son of Helori, lord of Kermartin. From 1267 he studied civil law in Paris, and from 1277 canon law at Orléans, where fellow students included Duns Scotus and Roger Bacon. Around 1280 he returned to Tréguier as an advocate, taking on only the cases of the poor, widows, and orphans. Around 1284 he was ordained a priest, became parish priest of a suburban parish, and served as deputy judge to the bishop of Tréguier. He died on 19 May 1303 at Louannec, aged 49, and was canonized by Pope Clement VI in 1347.

Why is he the patron saint of lawyers?

Ivo built his reputation as a judge and advocate who never charged poor clients and consistently sided with the weaker party in disputes. A saying grew up around him — "advocatus sed non latro," "a lawyer yet not a rascal" — a combination medieval society apparently found remarkable enough to remark upon. That reputation for disinterested honesty is why he became patron of lawyers, as well as of Brittany and of abandoned children. His feast day falls on 19 May.

Why place his statue on Charles Bridge?

During the Baroque period, Charles Bridge functioned as Prague's principal open-air gallery of religious sculpture, lined with saints tied to various professions and institutions of the city. The Law Faculty's donation follows that logic: the university wanted its own patron visible in the city's most prominent public space, seen daily by thousands of passersby.

Frequently asked questions

When was the statue made? In 1711, part of the main wave of Baroque statues added to the bridge between 1683 and 1714.

Who sculpted it? Matthias Bernard Braun, one of the foremost sculptors of Czech Baroque art.

Who paid for the monument? The Faculty of Law of Charles University in Prague, reflecting Ivo's role as patron saint of lawyers.

What do the additional figures represent? A widow with a child and an old man pleading at Ivo's feet, plus a blindfolded allegorical figure of Justice holding a sword.

Who was Saint Ivo? A Breton lawyer and priest, 1253–1303, known for defending the poor, widows, and orphans in court free of charge.

Where on the bridge should visitors look for it? On the south side of Charles Bridge, closer to its eastern, Old Town end.