Kostel Sv. Ludmily / Church of St. Ludmila (Tetín, Central Bohemia)
N 49° 56.938 E 014° 06.160
33U E 435623 N 5533342
Early Baroque church of St. Ludmila (Kostel Sv. Ludmily) is one of three existing churches in small (but for the Czech history very important) village Tetín near town Beroun.
Waymark Code: WM83FY
Location: Středočeský kraj, Czechia
Date Posted: 01/20/2010
Views: 141
Church of St. Ludmila stands on the site of an older Gothic church from the 14th century. The present early Baroque church was built in the eighties of the 17th century.
Single-nave church has a flat arch. Upon the church's stone altar you can see painting from an unknown artist depicting St. Ludmila with priest giving lessons to St. Wenceslas. Close the pillars, aside from altar, is placed small stone on which was allegedly murdered in 921 St. Ludmila. The church's organ from 1771 were renovated in 1998.
Tetín, a small village close to Beroun, is one from the most important historical sites at the territory of the Czech Republic. Tetín is intimately connected with the first patroness of Bohemia, Saint Ludmila, and her grandson, Saint Wenceslaus. Myths describes the founding of Tetín in A.D. 712, but historical and archaeological studies locates first buildings, the Premyslid fortress, to 10th century.
Saint Ludmila (Circa 860 - September 15, 921) is a Roman Catholic saint and martyr. She was born in Melník, the daughter of a Slavic prince. Saint Ludmila was the grandmother of Saint Wenceslaus (widely referred to as Good King Wenceslaus). Ludmila was married to Borivoj I of Bohemia, who was the first Christian Duke of Bohemia. The couple was converted to Christianity around 873.
The couple was succeeded by their son Spytihnev, who ruled for two years before he died. Spytihnev was succeeded by his brother Vratislav. When Vratislav died in 916, his eight year old son Wenceslas I became the next ruler of Bohemia. It was mainly Ludmila, who raised her grandson. Wenceslaus' mother Drahomíra became jealous of Ludmila's influence over Wenceslaus. She had two noblemen murder Ludmila at Tetin, and part of Ludmila's story says that she was strangled with her veil. Initially Saint Ludmila was buried at St. Michael's at Tetín. Sometime before the year 1100 her remains were removed to the St. George Basilica at Prague castle.