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16°20'3.346"E
Church of St. Wenceslas in Broumov
The monumental Baroque Church of St. Wenceslas in Broumov is one of the smallest, yet historically most significant buildings among the Broumov group of churches, all designed by Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer. It stands in the southeastern part of the town, above the former Lower Gate, where it forms a striking feature of the town's skyline.
The place where it all began
As early as 1610, a wooden Protestant church stood on the site of the current church, built after Emperor Rudolf II issued the Letter of Majesty granting religious freedom. However, Broumov abbot Wolfgang Selender banned its construction, which led to conflicts, complaints, and heightened tensions. In 1618, the church was closed, eight townspeople were imprisoned, and the situation escalated to such a degree that it became one of the direct causes of the famous Prague Defenestration and the outbreak of the Thirty Years' War. Alongside a similar event in Hrob near Teplice, this was a key moment that shaped the course of European history.
History of the Church
After the original Protestant church was closed and burned down during the war, a chapel dedicated to St. Wenceslas was built on the site in 1676, but it too was destroyed by fire. The current Baroque church was commissioned by Abbot Otmar Zinke after 1729, with part of the town’s fortifications demolished to make way for it. After being deconsecrated in 1788, the building was used for various purposes, after 1950 even as a storage facility. It wasn't until after 1989 that the restoration began. On September 28, 1995, St. Wenceslas’ Day, the church was reconsecrated. Since July 1, 2022, it has been protected as a national cultural monument.
Architecture
The church is built on an elongated Greek cross plan with rounded corners and no tower. Its exterior is characteristically Baroque, with a main façade framed by Tuscan pilasters and a prominent entrance portal. Above the door is a large arched window, and the façade features sculptural details and niches. The building is made of quarry stone and irregular blocks, with architectural elements crafted from grey sandstone, including cornices, capitals, and window frames. The façades combine smooth plaster with rough, textured plaster in a style known as “scratched render.” The interior consists of a single nave with a central dome. While the windows are plain in decoration, their construction is elaborate. A wooden-balustrade gallery defines the entrance area.
Interior and decoration
The most valuable artistic elements are the 1784 frescoes by Felix Antonín Scheffler, depicting the apotheosis of St. Wenceslas and a cycle of six scenes from his life. St. Wenceslas appears not only on the dome among other saints but also in individual scenes throughout the church. Above the gallery, an allegory of the Triumphant Church symbolizes the historical triumph of Catholicism over Protestantism. The main altar features a 19th-century painting of St. Wenceslas and St. John of Nepomuk by Wilhelm Kandler. In the presbytery are two oval oil paintings of St. Peter and St. Paul, and in the niches stand statues of saints from Tyrolean woodcarving workshops. The church is located on V Kopečku Street, elevated above a tall retaining wall built to level the terrain. From this position, the church dominates the area of the former Lower Gate and the small park in front of it.
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