infant jesus of prague 

The entire Spanish-speaking world flocks to Prague to see the wooden statue of the baby Jesus offering a blessing, called the Infant Jesus of Prague. It is said to have inspired Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince and that Paolo Coelho prayed to him for worldwide success. His wardrobe consists of over 300 outfits, which are regularly changed. Among them is a royal gown with an ermine cape. 

Since the beginning, the Infant Jesus of Prague has been associated with numerous miracles and answered prayers, and he is known as the protector of the family. As early as the 17th century, miraculous healings and conversions to the Catholic faith were recorded. Evidence of the miraculous effects of the Infant Jesus can be found on many plaques in the Church of Our Lady Victorious. It is run by the Discalced (barefoot) Carmelites, who continue the spirituality of the Spanish St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross.  

According to legend, his image appeared to a Spanish hermit in the 16th century. The statue was originally owned by the Spanish noblewoman Isabel Briceño, who gave it to her daughter Maria Manrique de Lara y Mendoza, who married a Bohemian nobleman in 1556. The Infant Jesus was supposed to protect her in the distant foreign land. The statue was then given to her daughter Polyxena as a wedding gift. In 1628, Polyxena donated it to the Prague Carmelites to protect the people of Prague from all evil with its miraculous powers. In 1631, the Saxons occupied Prague and plundered the monastery, damaging the Infant Jesus. The attackers were not interested in its value and the Infant Jesus was thrown into a trash heap. Miraculously, however, the fleeing monks found it again in 1637; both arms were broken. In 1655 the statue was solemnly crowned by the Bishop of Prague.  

A special altar and even a side chapel were built for the Infant Jesus, to whom crowds of pilgrims travelled. Members of the Habsburg family paid homage to him during their visit to Prague, and Empress Maria Theresa gave him a green velvet dress that she personally embroidered. But she was not alone. Other noblewomen also contributed to the lovely statue’s impressive wardrobe. Today, the Infant Jesus of Prague has around 300 items of clothing. Various nobles also gave him jewellery, including beautiful crowns. Even the Protestant general Königsmark, who conquered the Lesser Town at the end of the Thirty Years’ War, granted the Infant Jesus a protective letter, and the future Swedish king Charles Gustav gave him 30 ducats.  

In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI also gave the statue a gold crown. It is decorated, among other things, with eight shells, which are symbols of Saint Augustine. The date of the Pope’s gift is engraved below the cross of the crown. The crown is made of silver, is gold plated and decorated with genuine pearls and garnets. It is hand polished with agate. In his speech, the Pope said that the Infant Jesus of Prague, with his childlike tenderness, makes God’s closeness and love present.  

Pope Francis received a glass statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague as a personal gift from the world-renowned glass artist Martin Janecký. His studio can be found in the Lesser Town, just a short walk from the Church of Our Lady of Victorious.  

The Infant Jesus of Prague protects not only the people of Prague. We encounter copies of it all over the world, and it is always surrounded by an atmosphere of miracles. Similar statues are found in Spain, for example, in the St. Gines church in Madrid, but also in South America, the Philippines, and even England. Following the example of the Infant Jesus of Prague, these statues also gradually began to receive dresses, crowns, and royal orbs in their hands. Maybe the Infant Jesus of Prague will grant even your requests. We want you to feel at home in Prague under his protection.