Renaissance sgraffito designs on front of former Dominican monastic church, the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Kostela Povýšení Svatého Kříže), in Písek, South Bohemia, Czechia. The church was probably founded in the 1200s CE but, after destruction of the monastery in 1419, the church building was used for municipal salt storage and its sgraffiti date from this time. The monastery was restored in 1621, but the Dominican order was terminated by Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II (1741-1790) and the church remodelled in the 18th century.
Písek, South Bohemia, Czechia / Czech Republic: Renaissance sgraffito facade and doorway of former Dominican monastic church and municipal salt house, the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Kostela Povýšení Svatého Kříže), standing on the west site of a street named Fráni Šrámka. A former Domincan monastery was built south of this location in the 1200s AD and the church was probably founded at the same time. The monastery stood until 20 August 1419, when it was destroyed by local Hussites. Remains of the monastery’s three-nave church were subsequently used for municipal salt storage and the church’s striking Renaissance sgraffito facade is a reminder of this time. The monastery was restored in 1621 with the return of Catholics to the region. However, the Dominican order was terminated by Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II (1741 - 1790), who suppressed a third of monasteries in his territory. At that point, the monastery church was remodelled and made accessible to the public. The illustrations on the church’s facade are typical of 1500s Renaissance sgraffito designs and probably pre-date the Battle of the White Mountain (in November 1620 during the Thirty Years War). They feature three knightly or royal Bohemian figures (if one includes the armoured legs under the tympanum), plus two female figures, one holding a tower and the other a pole or flag-shaft. There is also some finding foliage and heraldic symbols. Below the human figures, the sgraffito designs are of a typical geometric block ‘envelope’ shape. Much of the original sgraffito art has been cut off by construction of a gable. Písek on the Otava River was once among the foremost cities in Bohemia and is today home to Czechia’s oldest bridge, built in the 1200s AD. The city owes its existence to mineral riches in the form of gold-bearing sand, mined here since the 1100s AD.
Size: 2000px × 3008px
Location: Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Kostela Povýšení Svatého Kříže), Písek, South Bohemia, C
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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