The Devil's Column

The Devil's Column in Prague is a mysterious and weathered stone structure found near the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in the Vyšehrad area. The column is shrouded in legend and local lore, blending Gothic intrigue with a unique supernatural tale. The structure itself is an odd formation of three stone segments, stacked together yet slightly misaligned, which only adds to its air of mystery and otherworldliness. According to local legend, the column was tossed here by the devil himself.

According to the most popular version of the tale, the Devil's Column was the result of a wager between a local priest and the devil. The story says that the priest, struggling with personal debts, made a deal with a devil, betting that he could complete a mass before the devil would bring a column all the way from St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. If the devil won, he would claim the priest's soul. If the priest won, he would be freed from his debts.

The devil took on the challenge and embarked on his journey to Rome to steal a massive column. But for some reason, the Devil didn't reach the Vatican. Maybe he was too scared of entering the Vatican, or maybe too tired. Instead, he stole the column from another church in Rome: Santa Maria in Trastevere. Then, he sped back to Prague, but high in the heavens, St. Peter himself saw the devil cheating and decided to intervene. St. Peter proceeded to throw the devil into the sea, critically slowing his way back to Prague. For this delay, when the devil was nearing his destination, the priest managed to finish his mass. Enraged by his defeat, the devil threw the column through the roof of the nearby Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, where it shattered into three pieces.

The story is so popular that the tale is portrayed in a mural inside the church, depicting St. Peter fighting with the devil carrying the column on his back. The fragments of the column were allegedly moved from inside the church to the nearby park where they sit today.