Vinařský sloup

Vinařský sloup (the Wine Column) is a late-17th-century sandstone column standing in Prague's Old Town, on Křižovnické náměstí, right at the southeastern corner of the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, just steps from Charles Bridge. It's a small monument compared with Prague's grand landmarks, but it packs in Baroque sculpture, the patron saint of winemakers, and a buried fragment of the city's oldest stone bridge.

Who made the column, and when?

The column was carved in 1676 by Prague sculptor Jan Jiří Bendl and his workshop. Bendl was among the leading early Baroque sculptors working in the city in the second half of the 17th century. He used hard sandstone quarried at Žehrovice, a stone durable enough that the carving has survived more than 350 years of Prague's polluted urban air in good condition.

What does the sculpture show?

The shaft of the column is carved with a winding grapevine and clusters of grapes, which is where the "wine column" name comes from. It's topped with a Corinthian capital, and above that stands a statue of St. Wenceslas, patron saint of Czech winemakers. He's shown in armor with a ducal crown, holding a lance with a small banner in one hand and resting the other on a shield. The imagery points back to a long tradition of vineyards on the hillsides around Prague, a tradition that predates the city's later fame for beer.

Why does it stand where it does?

The column didn't start out here. It originally stood in front of the entrance to the Old Town Bridge Tower, right where Charles Bridge meets the Old Town side. Because it got in the way of traffic heading onto the bridge, it was moved in 1778. A second relocation followed in 1847: during renovation work on Křižovnické náměstí, stonemason František Jedlička repositioned the column at its current spot, beside the southeastern wall of the Church of St. Francis.

What's hidden underneath it?

Beneath the column's current base lie surviving fragments of the paving from Judith's Bridge (Juditin most), the 12th-century Romanesque stone bridge that preceded Charles Bridge. That makes the site more than a piece of Baroque street sculpture — it also marks a physical trace of Prague's earliest permanent crossing of the Vltava.

Is it a protected monument?

Yes. The column and its statue of St. Wenceslas have been listed as a Czech cultural monument since 1964 and remain under heritage protection.

Frequently asked questions

Who created the Vinařský sloup? Sculptor Jan Jiří Bendl and his workshop carved it in 1676 from durable sandstone quarried at Žehrovice.

Where exactly is it located? On Křižovnické náměstí in Prague's Old Town, at the southeastern corner of the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, a short walk from Charles Bridge.

Why was the column moved more than once? It originally stood at the entrance to Charles Bridge and blocked traffic, so it was relocated in 1778; in 1847 stonemason František Jedlička moved it again, to its present position.

Who is depicted at the top of the column? St. Wenceslas, patron saint of Czech winemakers, shown in armor with a ducal crown, a lance, and a shield.

What lies beneath the column? Remnants of the paving from the medieval Judith Bridge, dating to the 12th century.

Is the column a listed monument? Yes, it has been protected as a Czech cultural monument since 1964.