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Pilgrimage Church of St. John of Nepomuk

Pilgrimage Church of St. John of Nepomuk

Jan Santini Aichel

Photo: Aqalexor · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Location
Žďár nad Sázavou, Czech Republic
Client / Owner
Václav Vejmluva
Year
Completed 1727
Access
Tickets required
Typology
Spiritual
Style
Baroque

Johann Santini Aichel designed the church for Václav Vejmluva, abbot of the Cistercian monastery in Žďár. Work began in 1719 after the tongue of John of Nepomuk was declared incorruptible. The church was consecrated after John's beatification in 1720, and construction continued until 1727. The article also says the project was dedicated in 1722, which conflicts with those dates.

The style is Baroque, with Borromini-influenced elements combined with Gothic features. The plan is built on the number five, linked to the five stars of John's legend. Five triangular and five oval chapels alternate around the perimeter, and the central space is carried by ten pillars.

A roof fire on July 17, 1784 caused serious damage, and restoration was allowed in 1792. The state owned the church from 1953 until 2014, when it returned to the Catholic Church. UNESCO inscribed it in 1994.

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