Bazilika Nanebevzetí Panny Marie / Basilica of the Assumption of Virgin Mary - Svatá hora u Príbrami (Central Bohemia) - This Old Church on Waymarking.com

Stunning Basilica of the Assumption of Virgin Mary (Bazilika Nanebevzetí Panny Marie), key building of famous Marian pilgrimage site and National Cultural Monument Svatá Hora (Holy Hill), is one of the most beautiful Baroque churches in Czech Lands.

In 1665, Bohuslav Balbin, a historian of Bohemia, published a book on Svata Hora written in Latin. One of the illustrations of this book is an engraving by M. Küssel, representing the most ancient depiction of Pribram. It would be hard indeed to recognize in it the present town of forty thousand. A tiny chapel looms above a diminutive and ugly borough bearing the traces of devastation of the Thirty years' war. Though Svata Hora was renowned in Balbin’s times, it still awaited its grandiose rebuilding. Bohuslav Balbin, who saw the chapel in its original form, assumed on grounds of the appearance of its bells and of paintings of miners on its walls that it was very old. The chapel is likely to have been built in the 14th century when Pribram belonged to the bishops of Prague who later became archbishops. Though the Pribram population embraced the Hussite cause in the 15th century, the chapel suffered no adversities.

Main altar made from Pribram silver in the Basilica.

A major breakthrough in the destiny of Svata Hora, however, came about in the half of 17th century. On the emperor's orders, the Jesuits, experts in propaganda efficiency, took over the chapel administration in 1647. The Baroque appreciation of mystic excitement and miracles of every kind launched the shrine of Virgin Mary to the highest position among all the pilgrimage centers of Bohemia. Most of the second half of the 17th century was occupied by a fundamental rebuilding of Svatá Hora according to the plans of Italian architects - especially Carlo Lurago. The original simple church completely changed its appearance, having been enclosed by a cloister with four corner chapels (1658-1675).

The present shape of Svatá-Hora dates from the beginning of the 18th century. A balustrade with statues of saints, four staircases descending from the terrace into a convent, two impressive gates and a priceless stucco decoration of the ceilings. Svatá-Hora is by far the most beautiful architectural monument of whole Príbram region.

On 22 June 1732, the third Sunday after the feast of the Holy Spirit, Gothic statuette of the Our Lady of Svatá Hora was solemnly crowned. This event has been commemorated annually ever since then. This is the greatest Svatá Hora pilgrimage feast of the whole ecclesiastical year.

A testament to Svatá Hora importance is the fact that Pope Pius X bestowed church with the title of basilica minor in 1905, which is granted to only the most important Christian churches in the world.

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