Monument to Emperor Francis
From Prague-wiki
The Monument to Emperor Francis, sometimes called Kranner's Fountain (Pomník císaře Františka, Krannerova kašna in Czech) is standing in a nice park next to Smetanovo nábřeží – an embankment of the Old Town. It was built in 1850 in Neo-Gothic style by architect Josef Ondřej Kranner with sculptures by Josef Max and Josef Kamil Böhm, in memory of great Austrian emperor Francis I (also known as Emperor Francis II of the Holy Roman Empire).
It is formed by a polygonal stone basin, with allegorical statues of sixteen Czech regions standing on its pillars. In front there is seventeenth statue with a shield, representing Prague. A 17 metres high towering structure stands in the centre of the basin. In the middle part of the tower there is a bronze, 291 centimetres high equestrian statue of emperor Francis I., who is commemorated by the monument. In the level of the main statue there are four pillars with pairs of allegorical figures, representing Peace, Abundance, Science, Art, Industry, Trade, Agriculture and Mining. In four triangular gables there are Czech and Luxembourg lions, and Moravian and Habsburg eagles.
In 1918, because of the hatred of the Czechoslovak republican government for the previously ruling Habsburg dynasty, the statue of Emperor was first covered and in the next year removed to the Lapidarium of Czech National Museum. For long 84 years the central place of the monument was empty until 2003, when the statue returned to its original site and this excellent artwork was thus completed again.
This monument is popular among Czech monarchists, who lay wreaths there on various occasions to commemorate the Habsburg dynasty.
