- Address: Sychrova, 591 02 Žďár nad Sázavou, Czech Republic
- Phone: +420 724 758 993
- Architectural styles: neo-gothic and baroque
Zdiar nad Sazavou is a rather modest town located in the central part of the Czech Republic . The number of its population does not exceed the mark of 22 thousand people, but tourists here are frequent visitors. The whole secret lies in the fact that it is in this city is almost the most original church in all of Europe - the Church of St. John of Nepomuk.
Beautiful legends
The very idea of building this temple is closely connected with the legend of Jan Nepomuk. For more than a year the people have been telling the story of a terrible crime and faithfulness to the ministry that confronted him. Jan Nepomuk, after attaining the dignity, once listened to the confession of the queen. However, King Wenceslas IV desired to learn all the secrets of his wife. Having received a well-grounded refusal, he concealed anger on the priest's faithful oath, ordered to seize him, torture him, and as a result - to throw blindfolded Charles Bridge . Witnesses of this crime claim that at the time of Ian Nepomuchy's death, a crown with five stars shone over his head. That is why the church, consecrated in his honor, has the form of a five-pointed star.
The legends most often embellish reality, and historians officially claim that the stumbling block was not the secret of confession. The execution was more than real.
Unique architecture
The beginning of the construction of the temple falls on 1720. The place for its construction was chosen on the top of Zelenaya Gora. For the design of the building took the famous architect Jan Blazee Santini Eichel. It was he who connected the legend of Nepomuk and the five-pointed star, embodying this connection in the original form of the structure.
The Church of St. John of Nepomuk is the representative of the harmonious symbiosis of Gothic and baroque. The figure 5, which is the symbol of this Czech martyr, is found here in many details: the building has 5 exits, as many stars and angels are crowned by the main altar, just such a number of chapels are located on the temple territory. By the way, the church is surrounded by an ancient cemetery and a covered arcade corridor.
The main altar conveys the image of the martyr, whom the angels are bringing to heaven. Lateral altars (they, by the way, also 5) are dedicated to the four Evangelists, whose figures are as if distorted in the flame. In 1994, the temple was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
How to get to the church of St. John of Nepomuk?
You can get here by taxi or as part of an organized excursion .