Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary / Bazilika Nanebevzetí Panny Marie (Prague - Strahov) - Baroque Architecture on Waymarking.com

It's virtually impossible to overlook the two tall and slim towers of the Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary on the Western Prague's skyline. From the distance the towers represent not only this sanctuary but also the whole complex of the Royal Canon of Premonstratensians at Strahov (Strahov Monastery.

The Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was originally a Romanesque basilica from the second half of the 12th century. Later it was reconstructed several times (in 1601 and in 1627 to a Renaissance style). The church gained its distinctive Baroque look in the second half of the 18th century, when it was also extended. The remains of St. Norbert were brought from Magdeburg and buried here in 1627. The Saint was then pronounced a Patron of Bohemia.

The new Baroque forefront and the steeples of 50.5 m high were built in 1743-1751 by the designs of architect Anselmo Lurago. The steeples were given Baroque bulbous cupolas with lanterns and finials and were topped by tall spires. The Basilica's interior is beautifully decorated with frescoes by Silesian Baroque painter Jerzy Wilhelm Neunhertz (1774), with the motif of the blessed Virgin Mary and scenes from St. Norbert's life. Worth mentioning are also the altar of marble from Slivenec, the work of František Lauermann from 1768, the sculptures by Ignác Platzer (1768) and the organ where Mozart played during his visit of the Strahov Monastery in 1787.