Beheading of St. John the Baptist Church / Kostel Stetí sv. Jana Krtitele - Hostivar (Prague)
N 50° 02.941 E 014° 31.468
33U E 465954 N 5544189
Despite austere look is Church of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist (Kostel Stetí sv. Jana Krtitele), parish church of Hostivar Roman Catholic parish, one of the oldest sacral structures in Prague.
Waymark Code: WMNPJH
Location: Hlavní město Praha, Czechia
Date Posted: 04/14/2015
Views: 41
Despite austere look is Church of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist (Kostel Stetí sv. Jana Krtitele), parish church of Hostivar Roman Catholic parish, one of the oldest sacral structures in Prague.
The exact age of the church is unknown (first written records are from 1352), but thanks to architectural elements and many indirect proofs we assume that it was constructed in the first half of the 13th century by Sazava monastery. Core of the church is early-Gothic (nave) and Romanesque (apse enclosed by conch), current external design is a result of Classicist reshaping on the turn of the 19th century.
Church of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist has rectangular ground plan (17.80 × 9.20 m; wall thick 120 cm) and its only nave is finished by semicircular apse (external diameter 7.10 m). Nave is vaulted by flat ceiling, apse by conch (semi-dome). In the western part of the church is choir. Nave is illuminated by three windows in the northern, and four windows in the southern wall, respectively. Apse is equipped by one small loophole Romanesque window. In the northern wall is by a Renaissance tombstone immured sandstone Gothic entrance portal. Small vestry and hall were added later, probably in the 18th century. Apse conch is decorated by beautiful valuable early Gothic frescoes from the 13th century depicting God-Father on the throne in mandorla and many other Christian symbols...