Katedrála Sv. Štepána / St. Stephen's Cathedral (Litomerice - North Bohemia) - This Old Church on Waymarking.com

Early Baroque St. Stephen's Cathedral (Katedrála Sv. Štepána), the seat of Bishop of Litomerice, is not only one of the most important Roman Catholic churches of the country, but also one of the principal landmarks of town Litomerice.

The main Roman Catholic church in town Litomerice is located on the Dome Hill (Dómský vrch), formerly called the Mountain of St. Stephen. Prince Spytihnev founded a Romanesque basilica with a Chapter house there in the 11th century. The basilica was later rebuilt in Gothic style and finally demolished in years 1662-1664. The new, early Baroque church, already buit as cathedral (the Litomerice Diocese was founded by a bull of Pope Alexander VII on 3 July 1655), was finished in 1668 by Italian architects Domenico Orsi and Giulio Broggio.

The Cathedral is a monumental single-aisle structure with three chapels on both sides with arcade openings to the aisle. The Cathedral is 50 m long, 20.5 m high a 22 m wide. In the church's forefront is a sandstone entrance portal with armoured doors from locksmith Gabriel Boehmer (1742). Above the entrance is CoA of bishop-founder Schleinitz, higher is statue of St. Stephen (1700) and CoA of bishop Königsegg. On the both sides of the portal are situated in niches statues of St. Felix and St. Victorin. The monumental belfry was finished in years 1883-1889, during bishop Antonín L. Frind, by Litomerice master builder Franz Sander according to the plans of Viennese architect Heinrich Ferstel. The tower is connected with the Cathedral by supporting archway with CoA of bishop Emanuel Jan Schöbel.

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