Few people are lucky enough to have an entire army guarding them, let alone after their death. Saint Norbert, founder of the Premonstratensian Order, is an exception. He has been resting in Prague for four centuries, because during the Thirty Years’ War, his remains were accompanied to Strahov Monastery by imperial troops. Read the story of transformation, courage and a city that can serve as a refuge and a beacon at once. Norbert was born into an aristocratic family at the turn of the 11th and 12th centuries near today’s German-Dutch border. As the second-born son, he was destined for a career in the church and rose quickly through the ranks, eventually reaching the court of Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor. Then came the year 1115 and a bolt of lightning from the empty skies. The blow that should have killed him turned his life upside down: he exchanged his silken court attire for the rough robes of a penitent, set out on his travels and preached a return to apostolic simplicity. However, not everyone applauded him, for his acerbic sermons were directed against corruption and luxury. He therefore decided to leave for the Prémontré valley, where he founded a monastery that laid the grounds for the Premonstratensian Order. He died in Magdeburg in 1134, and it would seem that this is where the story ends. But history would indeed come back round to him. Kostel sv. Norberta | Zdroj: Prague City Tourism When Magdeburg started leaning towards Protestantism during the turmoil of the Thirty Years’ War and reverence for relics disappeared, Norbert’s tomb was threatened with destruction. The abbot of Strahov in Prague, Caspar of Questenberg, obtained permission to take possession of the remains. Emperor Ferdinand II issued an order, and a special procession set off for Prague, accompanied by Albrecht von Wallenstein’s soldiers: a saint guarded by an army. In May 1627, he arrived at Strahov, and the local monastery would become the world centre of the Premonstratensians, while Norbert joined the ranks of the protectors of the Czech lands. His remains would rest in a silver sarcophagus in the Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary at Strahov, A monastery founded by Czech Prince Vladislav II back in 1143. Norbert has never been forgotten in the Czech Republic. The monastery itself has undergone severe trials: Hussite plundering in 1420, Swedish looting in 1648, artillery fire in 1742, communist closure in 1950… and yet it has always risen again. That is why it seems almost miraculous that you can still stand in silence before Norbert’s sarcophagus, which bears the weight of centuries. Norbert’s lightning continues to shine in Prague to this day. It reminds us that transformation is possible both in the life of an individual and in the memory of a city. Strahov, which has survived wars and regimes, speaks to this better than words ever could. Next to the basilica is the Strahov Library, one of the most beautiful monastery libraries in the world. Just stand for a moment by the silver sarcophagus in the silence of the basilica, then enter the library, where time is measured by globes and the scent of parchment, and the city will start to breathe differently. Sv. Augustin předává Norbertovi svá řeholní pravidla, miniatura z prvního Norbertova životopisu, asi 1140. | Zdroj: www.wikipedia.cz Where to experience the story in Prague Strahov Monastery – Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary • Northern side chapel of St Norbert with a silver sarcophagus • Marble high altar with a relief depicting the Ascension and statues of St Augustine, Norbert, Herman Joseph and Gottfried (Slivenec marble, Josef Lauerman, 1766–1768) • Series of ten oil paintings depicting the life and miracles of St Norbert • On the façade of the basilica, at the very top on the sides: St Augustine and St Norbert (Ondřej Filip and Jan Antonín Quitainer) Strahov – Main gate • At the top of the arch, St Norbert with putti and his attributes (patriarchal cross, abbot’s crosier; Jan Antonín Quitainer, 1752–1755) • Stone column with a sculpture depicting “Saint Norbert defeating the heretic Tanchelm” (Jan Antonín Quitainer, 1755) Cathedral of St Vitus, Wenceslas and Adalbert (Prague Castle) • Gilded wood carving of St Norbert on a pillar in the transept (František Preiss, 1696) Charles Bridge • Sculpture of the Czech patron saints – St Norbert, St Wenceslas and St Sigismund (Josef Calanza Max, 1853) Church of Our Lady Victorious on White Mountain (Řepy) • Fresco of Saint Norbert blinding heretics with a monstrance (Kosmas Damian Asam) National Gallery Prague • Altarpiece of Czech Patrons (Antonín Stevens; oil painting) Church of St Norbert, Střešovice • Neo-Romanesque – the only church in Prague dedicated to St Norbert Tip for a walk Start at Strahov (basilica and library), weave your way through the gardens to Prague Castle, and find Norbert on a pillar in the cathedral. Then stroll down via the Loreto to Charles Bridge and stop at the statue of the Czech patron saints. If you have time, add a longer trip to Bílá Hora (White Mountain) or Střešovice – you will understand why Norbert’s “lightning bolt” has been associated with Prague for eight centuries.