The Cathedral of St. Vitus, St. Wenceslas and St. Adalbert has a new website which is the result of extensive cooperation. Prague City Museum is among those involved in its creation, making available images of the cathedral through the course of history. The website also informs of current events, with information about concerts, exhibitions and church services. Compared with websites of other European cathedrals the St. Vitus website is among the best.
New bells
During WWI the cathedral lost three bells known as Maria, Jesus and the largest, Dominic. This left only four: John, Wenceslas, Joseph and Sigismund. Production and installation of new bells will cost about 1.8 million CZK. Production of the largest and most expensive bell, at the cost of 1 million CZK, will be covered by the City of Prague following an agreement between the Mayor, Bohuslav Svoboda, and Archbishop Dominik Duka. “Everything will be conducted in the form of a sponsor’s donation which the City has promised us,” said Archbishop Duka. Another bell, costing 260,000 CZK, will be paid for by Prague Castle and the third bell will be financed by six professors at the Czech Technical University, paying 30,000 CZK each.
Concerts will be more frequent
The cathedral, which is now under combined authority, is preparing an organ music festival for summertime. This is the inaugural year and so the program will feature a rich line-up of organ masters. From 3rd to 30th July there will be nine concerts. A further concert program is currently being arranged. In connection with this Archbishop Duka announced that the cathedral will have a new organ. The present organ doesn’t have sufficient volume for the vast area of the cathedral as it was designed for a church still under construction.
Exhibition space
The cathedral will also host exhibitions. The first of these, already taking place, is an exhibition entitled “Akce K” (Operation K), which commemorates the State Security Service’s attack on monasteries and convents in the 1950s. Two priest’s bells are also on display along with a small exhibition on the renovation of the Golden Gate. The concept and program of exhibitions is still being developed.
