And after nearly 650 years, Charles Bridge hides many surprises

Prague - Next year will mark 650 years since the laying of the foundation stone of Charles Bridge. Creators of the educational CD Charles Bridge, presented to the public this week, are convinced that there is still much to discover about it. According to the publisher of the CD, Andrej Šumbera, there are still firmly ingrained misconceptions and myths about this significant monument in our society.
For example, the legend that Charles IV laid the foundation stone himself is said to be untrue. He would hardly have been able to lift the massive millstone that was used for this purpose. However, according to historical sources, Charles was personally present at the laying of the foundation stone.
The first builder of Charles Bridge was not Petr Parléř, as is commonly stated, but according to the authors of the CD, the construction was likely initiated by a certain master Otto, and the Parléř workshop took over in the 1360s or 1370s.
The suitable moment for the foundation of Charles Bridge, exactly at 5:31 AM on July 9, 1357, was supposedly calculated by astrologers. The authors of the CD claim that with the correct arrangement of the digits, a magical sequence of odd numbers 1-3-5-7-9-7-5-3-1 emerges, which was supposedly intended to protect the bridge from destruction and attacks by evil forces.
The legend of using raw eggs in the construction of the bridge is probably known by everyone. According to the authors, it is documented that medieval builders – unlike with eggs – added milk, beer, wine, urine, blood, cottage cheese, and sugar to the mortar. The poured medieval masonry of Charles Bridge is said to be so strong that during repairs after the flood in 1890, it had to be blasted with dynamite to remove the debris.
Allegedly, there are two larger cavities within the body of the bridge. The first is under the Old Town Bridge Tower and is said by historians to have served as a prison. The second was created during repairs after the flood in 1890. Then, the builders left a free inner space between the pillar and the roadway. "The cavity with relieving arches is 7 meters high and can be accessed through a hatch from the roadway, but it is completely empty," added the author of the accompanying text, Marek Chvátal.
According to the authors, magical protective formulas written in Latin are carved on the Old Town Bridge Tower. There are two inscriptions that can be read the same from both sides. Although they do not make much sense, they are said to confuse any evil spirit that would wish to harm the bridge, causing it to withdraw without success.
All traffic on Charles Bridge was banned only in the mid-1960s. Before that, cars, buses, and even the famous Křižík electric tram regularly crossed the valuable monument for three years.
It sounds incredible, but from 1854 to 1872, newly manufactured railway wagons from the Ringhoffer factory in Smíchov were transported over Charles Bridge, then known as the Stone Bridge, to today's Masaryk Railway Station. "It wasn't until 1872 that the first railway bridge over the Vltava was built, and the transport of wagons over the Stone Bridge could be ceased," noted Chvátal.
The CD, which will be distributed free of charge to Prague schools and guides, includes chapters on the history of the bridge, supplemented with well-known and lesser-known Prague legends, and reportedly the richest photo gallery of all the sculptures and the two bridge towers to date. The first version of the CD was published in an edition of 1000 copies. Its release is supported, among others, by the European Union and the Prague City Council.