THE GORLICE HALL

The Gorlice Hall is the largest casemate space in Vyšehrad. The construction of this 290-square-meter (31250-square-feet), 12-meter (40 feet) hall took place from 1656 to 1678 after the shape of the bastion of St. Bernard was modified. In case of an incoming attack, this impressive hall was meant to serve as an assembly area for the troops and a warehouse for ammunition and food. In the past century, Gorlice served as a bomb shelter and a potato and vegetable warehouse. The space is used as a gallery today, since 1990s it houses six of the original Baroque statues from the Charles Bridge: The Madonna attending to St. Bernard (M. V. Jackl, 1709), St. Augustine, St. Ncholas of Tolentino (both by J. B. Kohl, 1708), St. Adalbert (F. M. Brokoff, 1709), St. Anna (M. V. Jackl, 1707) and St. Ludmila with the infant Wenceslaus (M. B. Braun, 1724).