Žďár nad Sázavou

Žďár nad Sázavou
near the pilgrimage Church of St. John of Nepomuk
(recorded on the list in 1994)

The church was designed by the architect Jan Blažej Santini and built in the Baroque-Gothic style. You cannot find a similar type of church anywhere else in Europe. Its construction based on the five-pointed star began between 1719 and 1722. Its architectural design reflects a legend that claims that in the place where John of Nepomuk drowned, five lights appeared. The symbol of the number five is reflected in other building elements of the complex – there are five entrances, the church has five chapels with five altars, etc. The foundation and construction of the church was initiated by an abbot from the Ždár Cistercian monastery, Václav Vejmluva, a dedicated devotee of the cult of John of Nepomuk. The last impetus for him to build the church was probably the purported discovery of the saint’s tongue in a coffin stored in a crypt in St. Vitus Cathedral in 1719. The church’s cornerstone was laid on May 16, 1720 and in September 1722 the church was ordained.
The church was built on a hill near the Ždar Cistercian monastery, and the newly constructed church became the dominant feature of the region. The place was originally called Černý les (Black Forest), but was renamed Zelená hora (Green Mountain). This name was not chosen by accident - John of Nepomuk was born in Pomuk (today Nepomuk) near Plzeň, which belonged to the Cistercian monastery near Green Mountain. In 1784 the church, one of the most visited pilgrimages in Moravia, burned down. Shortly afterwards, the Cistercian monastery was abolished and the church was closed. But in 1792, the church got a new roof. Other repairs, funded solely by donations from believers, were carried out at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. At that time, worshipping and church services began to take place again and processions of believers came back, but not in such large numbers as during the greatest glory of this pilgrimage site.

St. John of Nepomuk and his cult
John was born around 1340 in Pomuk, today called Nepomuk near Plzeň. He became the general vicar of the Prague Archbishop. In the dispute between the Archbishop and King Wenceslas IV, he was captured and tortured along with other people, and he was the only one who did not survive the torture. His body was then thrown from the Charles Bridge into the Vltava River. Shortly after his death a legend appeared. This legend was revived again in the mid-17th century, when efforts to canonize the martyr began. He was declared a saint in 1729.

Did you know that…

Jan Blažej Santini–Aichel (1677–1723)
A Czech architect and builder of Italian origin, who created his work in the Baroque-Gothic style, was not only an architect, but also an excellent painter. This is clearly demonstrated by the artistic level of the construction plans created by him. Typical Santini architecture is characterized by unusual and often audacious technical solutions, as well as airy interiors with exceptional acoustics. This ingenious builder created approximately
80 projects – especially religious buildings, but also palaces and farm buildings.

Baroque Gothic is an offshoot of the Baroque architectural style. It is characterized by the combination of Gothic and dynamic Baroque elements. It developed almost exclusively in Bohemia in the early 18th century, and its main representative, and indeed „inventor“ was Jan Blazej Santini. Other beautiful examples of Santini´s Baroque architecture can be found in Kladruby by Stribro, in Zeliv or in Sedlec by Kutna Hora. Santini, however, was not alone. Another creator of Baroque Gothic architecture was Octavian Broggio (1670–1742), also a Czech architect of Italian ancestry.