Katedrála Sv. Ducha / Cathedral of Holy Spirit - Hradec Králove (East Bohemia) - Medieval Churches on Waymarking.com

The slender Gothic silhouette of Cathedral of Holy Spirit (Katedrála Sv. Ducha) is more than 700 years the key architectural landmark of Hradec Králové, the dowry town of Czech queens...

Some historical sources state that the church was founded by the widow of the Czech King Wenceslas II. Queen Eliška Rejcka in 1307, but according to recent research, a parish church stood here in the second half of the 13th century, which burned down in 1339. The current presbytery was built between 1339 and 1342, and the construction of the nave was completed in the 1960s under Queen Elizabeth of Pomerania. It is said that Jan Žižka of Trocnov was buried here in 1424. During repairs after the Hussite wars, which ended in 1463, an extensive bar was built. A fire in 1484 damaged mainly the towers, which were then raised by one floor and received new bells. The oldest of the four bells, Leopold (Dominik) is from 1485. The largest of the bells is Michael (Orel) from 1496, which weighs 3847 kg. The pastophorium on the left side of the presbytery also dates from 1497. The church was repaired several times, looted and burned by Swedish soldiers in 1639. In 1664, with the founding of the diocese, the church became a cathedral and was then remodeled in the Baroque style, followed by further alterations at the end of the 18th century. In the years 1864–1876, the church was radically regotized by František Schmoranz and the tower in 1901 by L. Lábler. In the years 1980-1990, the church received a copper roofing and in 1997 on the jubilee of St. Vojtech was visited by Pope John Paul II.

When looking at this landmark of Hradec Králové, the observer is particularly interested in the contrast of the red brick masonry and white sandstone of the portals, windows and cornices of the church. At the time of construction, sandstone, which was lacking in the vicinity of Hradec Králové, was commonly used as the main building material in East Bohemian towns. The builders of the cathedral therefore chose less common bricks as the main building material. The three-nave basilica church has an elevated main nave and a long eastern choir, through which the cathedral faces the square. In the axis of the choir there is a cross in front of the church and two towers symmetrically on the sides. Adjacent to the north side of the cathedral is the Baroque chapter sacristy, on the south side the dean's sacristy and the Royal Hall. There are several Renaissance tombstones on the outer walls of the church. Massive supporting pillars divided into three parts are copied into the exterior. The external dimensions of the cathedral are: length 56 m, width 25 m, height of the nave 48 m.

In addition to the unique architecture, the fact that it has survived as the only medieval church in the entire city and suburb also contributes to the uniqueness of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. Other churches were demolished during the construction of a military fortress in the 18th century, which required extensive building modifications and significantly affected the appearance of the then Hradec Králové.

Source: excerpted and translated from Wikipedia and National Heritage Institute portal.