On the outskirts of the Czech town of Žďár nad Sázavou, the buildings of the Sanctuary of St. John of Nepomuk on Green Mountain have stood for hundreds of years. The temple, surrounded by a ring of chapels in the shape of a multi-pointed star, was designed by Jan Blažej Santini-Aichel. Today, the entire sacred complex is one of the most original works of European Baroque architecture. In 1994, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Sanctuary on Green Mountain
The impetus for the construction of the church in Zdziar nad Sazawą was an event in 1719, when, during the opening of the tomb of John of Nepomuk in St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague, tissue was found that was recognised as the intact tongue of the martyr. At that time, the abbot of the Cistercian monastery initiated the construction of a new temple in a place associated with his youth. The design was entrusted to Santini, who let his imagination run wild and created something unique, unheard of anywhere else in Europe. Work on the construction of the star-shaped church began in 1719 and lasted only eight years. Shortly afterwards, a fire broke out, damaging the roof and cloisters. During the reign of Emperor Joseph II Habsburg, pilgrimage traffic in the country was restricted, and the unused area around the church was designated as a cemetery. The necropolis is currently being gradually liquidated as part of the conservation of the Baroque layout of the entire star-shaped complex.
Architecture based on stars and numbers
Jan Blažej Santini Aichel designed the sanctuary on a central plan, with a clearly defined geometry of a circle and a star. The motif of five arms refers to the legend of five stars that were to appear above the body of St. John of Nepomuk, who drowned in the Vltava River. Five triangular chapels and the same number of oval chapels are arranged alternately around the perimeter. During the work, the architect determined the layout of the temple complex using arcs with radii that were multiples of the adopted module. His design also contains references to the rule of three, interpreted in the context of the Holy Trinity, and six, associated with the cult of Mary. The centrally located church building is reminiscent of the choir of a Gothic cathedral, transformed in the spirit of Baroque expression.
Space and light inside the temple
The interior of the church is based on a central cylindrical body, open at the top and topped with a vaulted ceiling with lunettes. The oval chapels arranged around it are connected to the nave by pointed arches. The structure is supported by 10 pillars, above which are galleries corresponding to the layout of the chapels. Even higher up is a gallery. The stucco decoration is limited to rib motifs intersecting in the style of Gothic vaults. Light plays a special role in the design. The central part is indirectly lit, while the ambulatory is filled with intense brightness penetrating through the arcades. This creates the impression that the weight of the building is taken over by the illumination itself, and the walls serve only as a thin shell. As a result, the entire interior is perceived as a space centred around the relic of St. John of Nepomuk’s tongue. An image of this organ can be seen on the very ceiling of the church dome.
The sanctuary on Zielona Góra and its value
The main altar is located in a high arcade. Its imposing composition reaches all the way to the balustrade of the second storey. The sculptures of five angels and four Evangelists were made in 1725-1727 by Jan Pavel Čechpauer from Chrudim. Three angels support a sphere with five stars, on which stands a statue of St. John of Nepomuk by Řehoř Thena. The artist also prepared reliefs for a silver pilgrimage statue made by the Prague goldsmith Jan Diesbach in 1729, which was lost in the aforementioned fire. The church is surrounded by a very impressive ring-shaped cloister divided into 10 bays, in which chapels and gates are alternately arranged. In the past, the roofs of the chapels were crowned with slender pinnacles interpreted as a symbol of light and eternity. The sanctuary on Green Mountain forms an extremely original and priceless composition, today considered one of Santini’s most outstanding achievements and a unique example of the synthesis of Baroque and Gothic styles.
Source: zamekzdar.cz, zdarns.cz
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