The Pilgrimage Church of Saint John of Nepomuk stands in Žďár nad Sázavou on Zelená hora in the Vysočina Region, not far from the former Cistercian monastery. It is the work of the architect Jan Blažej Santini-Aichel and since 1994 has been part of the World Heritage.[2]
Origins
According to the parish website, the impulse for the construction came from Václav Vejmluva, abbot of the Žďár monastery, who had venerated John of Nepomuk even before his beatification and canonisation.[1] Construction began on 13 August 1719, in the middle of the building season, which was unusual for such an undertaking. It was apparently preparatory work, that is, marking out, digging and walling the foundations.[1] According to the National Heritage Institute, the church was built in 1719–1722.[2] The site for the complex was chosen so that, besides meeting spatial requirements, it would emphasise the effect of the unusual architecture.[1]
Architecture
The National Heritage Institute describes the church as the most original example of so-called Baroque Gothic. It is dedicated to John of Nepomuk, a church dignitary of the second half of the 14th century who died a martyr's death because of disagreements with the ruler and in time was ranked among the patron saints of the Czech lands.[2] The small centralised building has a ground plan and interior space based on the symbolism of the five stars in the saint's halo. The shape is determined by intersecting circles forming a five-pointed star. The church has five entrances and five altar niches, twice five chapels stand around the centre, and the main altar bears five stars and five angels. At the top of the dome is placed the symbol of the saint's tongue, an attribute of keeping the secret of confession. The church is surrounded by an ambulatory with a complex ground plan, compositionally linked with the central building.[2]
Place of pilgrimage and later fortunes
The church was one of the most visited places of pilgrimage, and the complex hosted Baroque celebrations, which culminated in 1735 with the commemoration of the five-hundredth anniversary of the monastery's founding.[1] In 1922 and 1923 only some of the windows were replaced and the ambulatory fell into decay. During the Second World War and in the post-war years the complex received no repairs or maintenance.[1]