Kostel sv. Cyrila a Metoděje

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Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius is one of the largest church buildings of the 19th century in Bohemia. It was built in the middle of the 19th century and is one of the most important architectural monuments of the Neo-Romanesque style.

History of the building After 1817, a suburb of Prague grew up behind the walls of the New Town of Prague, on the former Špitálský Field, near the military Invalidovna, which became known as Karlín in honor of the Emperor’s wife Karolína Augusta. After the demolition of the Prague walls, its development grew rapidly and it was only a matter of time before it managed to raise funds for the construction of the main Catholic church in the area – the Church of St. Cyril and Methodius. According to the design of the architect Karel Rössner, professor at the Vienna Academy, and the Czech architect Vojtěch Ignác Ullmann, a monumental neo-Romanesque basilica was built in 1854–1863, based on the model of early medieval carved stone churches. Even a young imperial couple: Francis Joseph I of Habsburg and Elizabeth, called Sisi, took part in the celebration of the tapping and consecration of the foundation stone.

The facade of the temple appeals to passers-by with its rich decoration. Čeněk Vosmík created statues of Christ and ten earthly patrons placed under a rosette. In the tympanum above the central entrance, the figure of Jesus Christ is accompanied by the kneeling Slavic saints Cyril and Methodius. The interior of the church was far from finished at the consecration of the temple, and long afterwards the work continued. In essence, the decoration was done in two stages and completed at the very end of the 19th century. Josef Matyáš Trenkwald and Gustav Vacek in particular took part in the part of the wall paintings, which is dominated by the monumental figure of the blessing Christ in the almond tree. Small paintings of saints on the side altars were painted by Josef Mánes. However, many other authors contributed to the rich decoration. Interesting stained glass windows inside the church were created according to the cartons of František Ženíšek and František Sequens.

Kostel sv. Cyrila a Metoděje, Karlínské náměstí, Karlín, Česko