Statue of John of Nepomuk

The Statue of St. John of Nepomuk is a Baroque sculpture that now stands beside the Church of St. John of Nepomuk on Husova Street in Kutná Hora. Although it has occupied this spot for decades, its story actually begins elsewhere in the city, tied to the fate of a small niche chapel that did not survive a 20th-century road-building project.

Where did the statue originally stand?

The sculpture originally adorned a niche chapel set into the wall of house No. 18, at the intersection of Husova and Kremnická streets in the Žižkov district of Kutná Hora. Wall-niche chapels of this kind were a common feature of urban devotional life — small recesses built into a building's façade sheltered a saint's figure from rain and sun while keeping it visible to passers-by. In 1968, however, the chapel was demolished to make way for a bypass road intended to ease traffic through the town. Rather than being discarded, the statue was relocated near the Church of St. John of Nepomuk on Husova Street, where it stands today, right beside a church dedicated to the same saint.

What is the statue made of, and what does it look like?

The figure was carved from Kutná Hora sandstone, a stone quarried locally and widely used across the region for religious sculpture and architectural detail, including work on the nearby St. Barbara's Cathedral. The statue rests on a rectangular plinth fitted with lateral volute wings — the spiraling, scroll-like ornaments typical of Baroque design, which give the base visual movement and make it appear broader than it is.

The saint himself is shown in contrapposto, with his weight shifted onto one leg, lending the figure the naturally twisted, dynamic stance characteristic of Baroque (and earlier Renaissance) sculpture. In his right hand, hanging along his body, he holds a biretta — the stiff, square clerical cap that is one of his standard iconographic attributes. In his left hand, raised to shoulder height, he holds a crucifix, the saint's other recurring attribute, referencing his role as a confessor and martyr.

Why John of Nepomuk?

John of Nepomuk is one of the most widely venerated saints in Bohemia and Central Europe, honored as the patron of bridges, confessors, and protection against floods and slander. Solitary statues of him — placed along roads, bridges, and squares — are among the most common pieces of small-scale sacred architecture across the region, and Kutná Hora, with its rich stone-carving tradition and abundance of monuments tied to silver mining, is no exception.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly does the statue stand? On Husova Street in Kutná Hora, next to the Church of St. John of Nepomuk.

Is this its original location? No — it originally stood in a niche chapel at the corner of Husova and Kremnická streets in the Žižkov district, demolished in 1968 for a bypass road.

What material is the statue made of? Locally quarried Kutná Hora sandstone.

What attributes does the saint hold? A biretta in his right hand and a crucifix raised to shoulder height in his left.