The Basilica of St. Procopius is a Romanesque-Gothic church of a former Benedictine monastery on the left bank of the Jihlava River in Třebíč, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2003.
The Basilica of St. Procopius stands in the grounds of a former Benedictine monastery on the left bank of the Jihlava River in Třebíč. According to the National Heritage Institute, the monastery complex forms the dominant mass in the townscape [2]. The building has three naves and combines Romanesque and Gothic stylistic elements [1].
History
The Benedictine monastery in Třebíč was founded in 1101 [2]. The originally wooden monastery complex was rebuilt in stone in the first half of the 13th century, and a monastery church dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary arose on the site of an older abbey church [1]. From the second half of the 17th century the building came to be called the Basilica of St. Procopius [1].
In 1468 the building was damaged during the siege of Třebíč by the troops of the Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus [1]. Afterwards it served secular purposes for more than two centuries, namely as a stable, a granary and a brewery [1]. Its sacred use was restored only after a reconstruction under the Waldstein family, when the church was rededicated to St. Procopius [1].
Architectural features
The most valuable parts of the basilica include the wall paintings in the abbot's chapel and a Romanesque rose window with its original ten-part stone tracery [1]. The crypt, whose vault is supported by fifty columns, is also notable [1]. The National Heritage Institute describes the interior of the building as unmistakable thanks to its unique vaults, and also mentions a richly profiled entrance portal sheltered by a columned porch, numerous stonemasonry details and wall paintings in the sacristy [2].
Status and protection
The Basilica of St. Procopius is part of the complex of the former Benedictine monastery, which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2003 together with the Jewish quarter and the Jewish cemetery of Třebíč [1][2]. The National Heritage Institute lists this inscription among monuments with international status, which cover both Jewish and Christian culture on the left bank of the Jihlava [2].