A colossal statue of Jan Žižka, a 15th-century Hussite general and hero of Czech history, was erected on top of Vítkov Hill in 1950, commanding superb views across Stáre Město to Prague Castle. It’s said to be the biggest equestrian statue in the world.
It was commissioned in 1931 from the Prague sculptor Bohumil Kafka (no relation to Franz), who had a huge studio specially constructed for the project and worked on the statue until his death in 1941, by which time he had succeeded only in creating a full-size plaster version. The statue was eventually cast in bronze – 16.5 tonnes of it – in 1950 and unveiled on 14 July of that year, the anniversary of the Battle of Vítkov Hill.
