A photo of St Martin's rotunda

St Martin’s rotunda

I’m fascinated by the rotundas in Prague. This city has more of them than I’d ever seen in my life. St Martin’s rotunda sits inside the Vyšehrad castle complex and its history is as varied and complex as any other.

A photo of Piazza di Spagna - Rome, Italy

Spanish steps

Rome’s Spanish steps are an iconic image of the city. People have loitered on the stairs since the 16th century. Not everyone knows the reason behind the name. Why would it be the Spanish steps when it’s in Italy?

The startling story behind the Hebrew inscription

One of the more curious sights on Prague’s Charles Bridge is that of Hebrew script on a Roman Catholic crucifix. The crucifix is a religious symbol that points to the break between the Jewish faith and Christianity so the story behind this is intriguing indeed.

A photo of the restored interior

The lost rotunda of St Wenceslas

Rotundas used to be common in Central Europe. Prague was no exception and it is a shame so many have disappeared. This article explains how archaeologists re-discovered St Wenceslas’ rotunda which stood in the Lesser Town Square (Malostranské náměstí).

A photo of the church-tower - Žulová, Czechia

Frydberk castle

The criminals who built Frydberk ? castle terrorised the Bohemian countryside in mediaeval times. Conquered, plundered, turned into a ? brewery and then the Church built a place of worship out of its tower. This is the castle’s amazing story ?

A photo of the Church of St Francis - Prague, Czechia

The surprising connection between Prague and Rome

Architectural connections between cities are interesting because they show how influences affect architects visions. The connection alone tells a story about how something came to be. In this article I look into the connection between the Church of St Francis of Assisi in Prague and Rome’s twin churches in the Piazza del Popolo.

A photo of the banqueting hall, now an art gallery - Prague, Czechia

The death of Tycho Brahe

One of the many illustrious people who lived in Prague was the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe. He came for the mysteries of alchemy, and he died in Prague because he was overly polite. Would you have risked your life like this?

A photo of the gate and entrance to Český Šternberk castle

Český Šternberk Castle

It’s not everyday you find castles still owned by the original family. Czechia’s Český Šternberk ? towers over the town of the same name, and is one of the few in the world to make that claim ?

A photo of the statue of the infant Jesus of Prague - Prague, Czechia

The Infant Jesus of Prague

The Infant Jesus of Prague statue is a key point of interest for many tourists visiting Prague’s Church of Our Lady Victorious. This article explains the legends behind it, and associated with it.

A copper engraving of Prague besieged by Swedes in 1648

The Lasting effects of the Thirty Years’ War

I’ve written plenty of articles about the effects of the 30 Years’ war on Prague and Czechia in general. I knew bits and pieces of the story so I decided to put all my research into a larger article to put things into context.