4:30 p.m.– 6 p.m.

Lecture by Marek Zágora. Only in Czech.

The lecture will be streamed live on Facebooku and the gallery’s YouTube channel.

Medieval bestiaries and other sources depict various creatures that we now know were imaginary – but in the Middle Ages people believed in their existence and were fascinated by them. One of these creatures is the unicorn – which was first described in ancient times. In the Middle Ages, unicorns were most often characterized as small goat-like animals, whose main distinguishing feature was their single horn. It was said that the unicorn could sense the presence of evil, and that it moved so quickly that it could not be caught. It was also said to be very dangerous, so that even elephants feared it. Accounts evolved over the centuries, and later it was said that only a female virgin was able to tame a unicorn; the only way of successfully hunting this fast and fierce animal was to enlist the help of virgins. Unicorns were “hunted” to harvest their miraculous horns, which were thought to be able to cure all illnesses and “purge” all poisons from the body. Another characteristic feature of the unicorn was its white (or light-coloured) coat. This made it a common symbol of chastity, purity, goodness and nobility.

Booking advance necessary  

free entrance