Which Prague bridge began construction in 1357 under the reign of Charles IV?

Charles Bridge in Prague began construction in 1357 under the reign of Charles IV.

The medieval stone bridge crosses the Vltava River and connects Prague’s Old Town with the Lesser Town. Construction traditionally began on July 9, 1357, at 5:31 a.m., a date and time associated with a symmetrical sequence of numbers favored by court astrologers.

Peter Parler directed the project after the earlier Judith Bridge was damaged by a flood in 1342. The replacement bridge was completed in the early fifteenth century and became an important route for commerce, royal processions and travel through Prague.

The bridge was called the Stone Bridge or Prague Bridge for centuries before gaining the name Charles Bridge in 1870. Its famous statues mostly date from the Baroque period, not from the original medieval construction.