Musica Navalis. History of the festivities and cult of St. John of Nepomuk

The theme of this book is the festivities held since the Baroque period in honour of one of the most venerated Czech saints, St. John of Nepomuk. The authors trace them in the context of the origins, development and transformations of his cult from the Middle Ages to the present day. For three centuries, St. John's ship music (musicae navales) was part of the much-attended and popular May pilgrimages to Prague held on the occasion of Nepomuk's feast day. The tradition of these festivals on the Vltava River dates back to 1715. In their long development, they have always reflected the spiritual, cultural and social changes of society in different historical epochs, and have also reflected important events in Czech history. In addition to periods of flourishing, they have also gone through periods of decline or even prohibitions. After 1989, these festivals were restored. The organisers called their current form "Navalis", referring to baroque ship music. It is now one of Prague's biggest cultural and religious events.