The Builder’s Pact with the Devil

Emperor Charles IV had the Church of Charlemagne at Karlov built in the third quarter of the fourteenth century. It was not vaulted until 1575, and its daring vault is among the widest in the country. It was remodelled in Baroque style in the eighteenth century. A legend about a builder who pledged himself to the Devil, sometimes identified as Vít Hedvábný, is associated with the remarkable vault. It is striking how many similar legends concern masons. After completing the vault, the builder had the scaffolding set alight. Many doubters expected the dome to collapse. In the resulting smoke and flames, many saw the Devil’s grin. Supposedly even the builder himself succumbed to suggestion, fled and died while escaping. The Devil thus did not lose his victim, but the church remained standing.