St. Stephan Cathedral (Leitmeritz)

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St. Stephen's Cathedral, Leitmeritz
Interior

The St. Stephen's Cathedral in the northern Czech Litoměřice (Leitmeritz) is the Episcopal Church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Litomerice . It goes back to a foundation in the 11th century. The current early baroque building dates from the 1660s.

history

Duke Spytihněv II founded the collegiate monastery of St. Stephen in 1057 ; a church probably already existed at that time. This pre-Romanesque building was converted into a Gothic style in the 14th century .

Stoning of Stephen , high altar painting by Karel Škréta

In 1655 the diocese of Leitmeritz was founded. The provost of the Maximilian monastery, Rudolf von Schleinitz , was ordained the first diocesan bishop and the collegiate church was elevated to a cathedral. In 1662, with the demolition of the old church, preparations began for the prestigious new cathedral building in the years 1664–1668 under the direction of Giovanni Domenico Orsi de Orsini and Giulio Broggio . The church consecration took place after completion of all work on September 21, 1681 by Schleinitz 'successor Jaroslaw Ignaz von Sternberg .

The originally planned double tower facade was not implemented. The 50 m high, free-standing bell tower was only started in the 1710s and completed in neo-baroque style in 1882–1889 according to plans by Heinrich von Ferstel .

Architecture and equipment

St. Stephan is 50 m long, 22 m wide and 20 m high and has the shape of a three-aisled basilica . However, the side aisles are divided into chapels facing the main room. The facade shows the outline and structure of the Italian Baroque. The choir closes polygonally.

The furnishings from the time of construction in the black and gold auricle style have been completely preserved and only a few more recent pieces have been added. It includes the high altar, six side altars, the pulpit, the choir stalls, the choir screens, the confessionals and the pews. The altarpiece of the high altar Stoning of Stephen and four other altarpieces are by Karel Škréta .

The Jehmlich organ with 4 manuals, 56 registers and 3944 pipes was built into the baroque case in 1942 .

The cathedral has been protected as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic since May 1958.

Web links

Commons : St. Stephen's Cathedral (Leitmeritz)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Johann Gottfried Sommer : The Kingdom of Bohemia. Leitmeritzer circle . Prague 1833, p. 3
  2. ↑ kostel sv. Štěpána s věží ÚSKP 35625 / 5-1754 in the monument catalog pamatkovykatalog.cz (Czech).

Coordinates: 50 ° 31 ′ 55.5 ″  N , 14 ° 7 ′ 42.5 ″  E