Základy kostela Sv. Kríže / Foundations of Church of the Holy Cross - Sázava (Central Bohemia)
N 49° 52.683 E 014° 53.812
33U E 492590 N 5525076
Depicted foundations of Romanesque Church of the Holy Cross (kostel Sv. Kríže), in Central Europe unusual for its tetraconch disposition, You can visit in Northern garden (Severní zahrada) of former Benedictine convent in a small town Sázava.
Waymark Code: WMMNX3
Location: Středočeský kraj, Czechia
Date Posted: 10/16/2014
Views: 48
Depicted foundations of Romanesque Church of the Holy Cross (kostel Sv. Kríže), in Central Europe unusual for its tetraconch disposition, You can visit in Northern garden (Severní zahrada) of former Benedictine convent in a small town Sázava.
The Benedictine convent was built by the Czech Prince Oldrich for the hermit Prokop (St. Procopius) and his followers in 1032. From the very beginning the monks developed the Slavonic liturgy and ran an important scribal workshop where a number of precious pieces of Old Church Slavonic literature were written. Prince Bretislav II. ordered the expulsion of the Slavonic monks and replaced them by Benedictine "Latin" friars from Brevnov convent in 1056. Slavic monks returned for a short time in 1061, but they were definitely expelled from Czech lands in 1096 and the "Latin" liturgy prevailed for centuries..
The Church of the Holy Cross, which foundations were uncovered by archeologist Dr. Kveta Reichertová in 1970, was consecrated in 1070 by bishop Jaromír. The design of the church with unique tetraconch ground plan was inspired by South-East European Byzantine architecture.
The church, which served for layperson settlement at the Sázava Benedictine convent, was abandoned probably during the 14th century and its existence was forgotten for several centuries. The archetype of this tetraconch church' design was probably Anastasis rotunda in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.