Pilgrimage Church of St John of Nepomuk at Zelená Hora (UNESCO)
The town of Žďár nad Sázavou lies on the upper Sázava river in the very heart of the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands in the beautiful natural scenery of the Žďárské vrchy Protected Landscape Area.
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Its Pilgrimage Church of St. John of Nepomuk at Zelená hora, a Baroque architectural gem, is also listed among the UNESCO sites. It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994. The church, which was built in the early 1720s, is without any doubt the most distinctive work by Jan Santini Aichel and is deservedly considered one of the architect’s top pieces.
A hillock above a monastery was chosen for this important house of God and in September 1722, it became the first sanctuary consecrated to St. John of Nepomuk. Its history is documented in a modern and original way using interactive elements by the New Generation Museum in Žďár Chateau. Another important example of Santini´s work is the Lower Cemetery that attracts attention due to its skull-shaped layout. Its construction began in 1709 due to an imminent plague epidemic, which however, eventually did not affect the Žďár domain.
DID YOU KNOW…
that J. B. Santini incorporated the symbolism of the number five into his original project, which was inspired by the legend of St. John of Nepomuk, over whose body a crown with five stars appeared?
Foto: Archiv Vysočina Tourism
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