Church with mummified human hand

In front of you - St.Jacob church. The facade is quite simple, I would say. Three bas-reliefs only are visible there. From left to the right: apotheosis of St. Francis, St. Jacob and pilgrims, and apotheosis of St.Antony.

But interior is such grandiose! The most beautiful church in Old Town! If church is open, please come in, you will be delighted! A lot of gold, beautifully painted ceiling, pictures, large amount of statues.

Inside the temple, right at the entrance, there is a real human hand cut off! Many tourists come here to see this specific highlight.

The legend says: once a thief got into by night. He began to collect all the gold in his bag. But when he wanted to take the crown of Virgin Mary, the hand stuck in the sculpture. He could not pull it out. The thief became afraid the guards executed him. And he cut off his own hand.

The monks hung this hand right at the entrance. It is hanging for three centuries already.

Over time this thief became a monk too. He realized that God punished him with this.

Today, after almost three hundred years, the cut hand doesn’t look like a hand actually. It’s a severed hand hanging from an iron chain above a black painting, looking like withered rope or something. But you should know that this is really a piece of a hand.

It’s entertaining, isn’t it?

So, what is going on in this temple today?

Currently organ concerts have passing here only. Sometimes the massis have passing too, but not regularly.

Photo: Alesia - guide in Prague