Kladruby u Stribra (Kladruby near Stribro)

Monastery Church of the Assumption of Virgin Mary, St Wolfgang and St Benedict

Submitter: The Benedictine monastery in Kladruby - the Abbot Maurus Fintzguth

The monumental late-Roman basilica in Kladruby was finished already in the year 1233. The church was burnt down by the Hussites in the year 1421 and stood without roofs and vaults for several decades. During Renaissance, the church was roofed again and re-consecrated in the year 1504. However, the overload of the enclosure walls caused emergency conditions again and the Abbot Fintzguth wanted to settle this situation by means of general reconstruction.

In the year 1710, he called upon the two most significant Prague's architects to elaborate the project and take part in the competition, Krystof Dientzenhofer and Jan Blazej Santini. In February 1711 he decided to realize the more expensive and larger project of Santini. The reconstruction took place in several stages. At first, the three naves were reconstructed, consequently the transept (crossing in front of the altar) and the monumental cupola was built. As concerns the creation of the building exterior, the biggest attention was given to the western façade as well as to the northern face and the characteristic monumental cupola designed as a crown hung above the long profile of the central nave. A monumental statue of Virgin Mary referring to the Roman and Gothic traditions of the premises is fit in the niche of the entrance gable of the church. The lantern in the cupola is capped by the mentioned Marian crown clearing the interior area above the church crossing. During reconstruction, Santini utilized the old structures of the walling as much as possible. He had removed the walling only in the damaged parts and completed it into the ideal condition. The extremely cleared and ten-lateral chancel has been complemented by the altar according to the original Santini's design and it dramatically closes the whole building.

Further Photos

Contact

The monastery Kladruby
349 61 Kladruby u Stribra (Kladruby near Stribro)
Phone: +420 374 631 773

Opening Hours

April	Saturday, Sunday, holidays	9:00 - 16:00
May	Daily except Monday	9:00 - 16:00
June - August	Daily except Monday	9:00 - 17:00
September	Daily except Monday	9:00 - 16:00
October	Saturday, Sunday, holidays	9:00 - 16:00

Another time: only after the previous arrangement.
The last sightseeing always starts the last hour of the opening hours.

More information