Churches
Church and Tower of the Holy Spirit
This is the oldest tower in town and it was built in the late Romanesque period. The older the time of origin is the less we know about who actually had the object built - it could have been the Templars, Přemysl Otakar II or the Johannites. Perhaps it was a part of the castle. One thing is for certain and that is that the tower served a defensive function. Prior to the year 1486 a late Gothic single-aisle church with a polygonal presbytery decorated with paintings with Evangelist symbols was built in the place of the Holy Spirit Church. The western wall of the church was preserved from this Romanesque construction.
Later this church was often subjected to changes made by current users or owners. Even the use of this church had alternating functions. Following a fire it became a storage place and in the 19th century it served as the town theatre. In 1922 the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren bought this church and since then it has been used for divine services. Inside the original windows with tracery a Gothic vault relics of mural paintings and a five-leaf rosette (the symbol of the Lords of Hradec) have been preserved.
Opening hours
Church of the Holy Name of Jesus
This church was built in 1667 and it was founded by Countess Františka Slavatová. During that time Renaissance went out of fashion. The new style was called Baroque the aim of which was to turn people away from worldly pleasures back to God. This was the main aim especially of the Jesuits who administered this shrine. According to a legend, Countess Slavatová even dedicated her son Karel to God. Karel Slavata was about to get married. One day he decided to go hunting. Somehow he lost the rest of the group and his horse fell into a wolf pit. Neither he nor his horse was able to get out. In desperation Slavata promised that he will devote his life to God if he survived. He was crying out for help and eventually a local farmer heard his calling and rescued him. A promise is a promise Slavata ignored the tears of his fiancée and entered the monastery. However when his brothers died and he remained as the only successor of his dynasty he got permission from the Pope to return to secular life and look after his manor. Perhaps he was not destined to die as a monk.
In the Baroque period churches were built with very rich decorations. This church is rather modest compared to the pompous and ornamental Baroque style that later flourished in Bohemia. This type of church is called "II Gesú". It ws built untraditionally with its side facing the square. The exterior decorations still bear traces of the then dying Renaissance style. The interior desigh of the church is already Baroque.
St. James Church
The St. James Church was founded together with the town. In the mid-15th century it was rebuilt and decorated with beautiful Gothic frescos. The top of the tower offers a view of the whole town. It was built in a very coherent way. It is surounded by ponds serving the purpose of defence against enemies.
The whole town was enclosed by walls and water ditches were constructed in front of them. In the case of a threat the water ditches were filled with water from the ponds and the town became an unconquerable water fortress. The only entry to the town was through the well-guarded town gates. Two of these have been preserved to this day. The Upper (or large) Gate from the mid-16th century is decorated with sgraffiti it has a beautiful shingle roof and above the passage is a five-leaf rosette.
There used to be another gate in front of this one in the place where the street starts to narrow. It was demolished in the year 1833 because the town had no longer any use for it. The other gate tat has been preserved is the Bottom (or small) Gate. It used to be a part of the castle and originated during its reconstruction. There used to be a drawbridge in front of it across the water ditch.
Tower of St. James
Church of Mother of God
The main landmark of the Old Town is the Church of the Birth and Assumption of the Virgin Mary called the Church of Mother of God founded probably in the 13th century.
Its Gothic architecture came into being in the 14th century and in the 17th centrury the church was remodelled in a simple Baroque style. The towner has the odedst bell of Telč cast in 1515 by Jan of Meziříčí.
Church of St. Anna stands in the graveyard which is located east of Zachariáš of Hradec Square. The cemetery was established as a new city burial ground after the closure of the cemetery at the church of St. Jakub in 1672. In its center the town had the church of St. James built in 1695-1698 with the financial contribution of the Jesuits of Telč. It is a simple single-nave church with a barrel vault and a straight wall of the chancel. A cemetery wall was built with it. In front of the entrance to the cemetery was placed at the Baroque gate a statue of the kneeling St. Donat.
Chapel of the Name of the Virgin Mary stands in a small park on the triangular Oldřich´s Square. It was founded by the local burgher Ondřej Hanusík in 1719. In 1867 it was extended by the care of Josef Tomášek into a neat suburban church with a bell from 1988.
Chapel of St. Karel Boromejský formerly called "Olivetská" stands near Vanov on the way through the forest towards Telč. It was built on the site of the Church and the towering wolf pit into which the young Count Karel Jáchym Slavata fell while hunting on 13 October 1662. In a pit from which he could not free himself in mortal anxiety he promised that if he was saved he would enter the monastery of such an order to which the monk he would first meet belonged. He was liberated by Vanov peasants. He fulfilled his promise and became a monk of the Carmelite order. In memory of this event his mother Františka Slavatová had a chapel built above the wolf pit the following year. Calvary (cross with statues of the Virgin Mary, St. John and Mary Magdalene) is erected near the chapel.
Churches and towers nice walk along the linden alley to the chapel around Snake Lake on foot and by bike, educational trail or city tourist circuit. New cycle path and inline trail Lipkami in the woods singletrail area.
This is the oldest tower in town and it was built in the late Romanesque period. The older the time of origin is the less we know about who actually had the object built - it could have been the Templars, Přemysl Otakar II or the Johannites. Perhaps it was a part of the castle. One thing is for certain and that is that the tower served a defensive function. Prior to the year 1486 a late Gothic single-aisle church with a polygonal presbytery decorated with paintings with Evangelist symbols was built in the place of the Holy Spirit Church. The western wall of the church was preserved from this Romanesque construction.Later this church was often subjected to changes made by current users or owners. Even the use of this church had alternating functions. Following a fire it became a storage place and in the 19th century it served as the town theatre. In 1922 the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren bought this church and since then it has been used for divine services. Inside the original windows with tracery a Gothic vault relics of mural paintings and a five-leaf rosette (the symbol of the Lords of Hradec) have been preserved.
Opening hours
Church of the Holy Name of Jesus
This church was built in 1667 and it was founded by Countess Františka Slavatová. During that time Renaissance went out of fashion. The new style was called Baroque the aim of which was to turn people away from worldly pleasures back to God. This was the main aim especially of the Jesuits who administered this shrine. According to a legend, Countess Slavatová even dedicated her son Karel to God. Karel Slavata was about to get married. One day he decided to go hunting. Somehow he lost the rest of the group and his horse fell into a wolf pit. Neither he nor his horse was able to get out. In desperation Slavata promised that he will devote his life to God if he survived. He was crying out for help and eventually a local farmer heard his calling and rescued him. A promise is a promise Slavata ignored the tears of his fiancée and entered the monastery. However when his brothers died and he remained as the only successor of his dynasty he got permission from the Pope to return to secular life and look after his manor. Perhaps he was not destined to die as a monk.In the Baroque period churches were built with very rich decorations. This church is rather modest compared to the pompous and ornamental Baroque style that later flourished in Bohemia. This type of church is called "II Gesú". It ws built untraditionally with its side facing the square. The exterior decorations still bear traces of the then dying Renaissance style. The interior desigh of the church is already Baroque.
St. James Church
The St. James Church was founded together with the town. In the mid-15th century it was rebuilt and decorated with beautiful Gothic frescos. The top of the tower offers a view of the whole town. It was built in a very coherent way. It is surounded by ponds serving the purpose of defence against enemies.The whole town was enclosed by walls and water ditches were constructed in front of them. In the case of a threat the water ditches were filled with water from the ponds and the town became an unconquerable water fortress. The only entry to the town was through the well-guarded town gates. Two of these have been preserved to this day. The Upper (or large) Gate from the mid-16th century is decorated with sgraffiti it has a beautiful shingle roof and above the passage is a five-leaf rosette.
There used to be another gate in front of this one in the place where the street starts to narrow. It was demolished in the year 1833 because the town had no longer any use for it. The other gate tat has been preserved is the Bottom (or small) Gate. It used to be a part of the castle and originated during its reconstruction. There used to be a drawbridge in front of it across the water ditch.
Tower of St. James
Church of Mother of GodThe main landmark of the Old Town is the Church of the Birth and Assumption of the Virgin Mary called the Church of Mother of God founded probably in the 13th century.
Its Gothic architecture came into being in the 14th century and in the 17th centrury the church was remodelled in a simple Baroque style. The towner has the odedst bell of Telč cast in 1515 by Jan of Meziříčí.
Church of St. Anna stands in the graveyard which is located east of Zachariáš of Hradec Square. The cemetery was established as a new city burial ground after the closure of the cemetery at the church of St. Jakub in 1672. In its center the town had the church of St. James built in 1695-1698 with the financial contribution of the Jesuits of Telč. It is a simple single-nave church with a barrel vault and a straight wall of the chancel. A cemetery wall was built with it. In front of the entrance to the cemetery was placed at the Baroque gate a statue of the kneeling St. Donat.Chapel of the Name of the Virgin Mary stands in a small park on the triangular Oldřich´s Square. It was founded by the local burgher Ondřej Hanusík in 1719. In 1867 it was extended by the care of Josef Tomášek into a neat suburban church with a bell from 1988.Chapel of St. Karel Boromejský formerly called "Olivetská" stands near Vanov on the way through the forest towards Telč. It was built on the site of the Church and the towering wolf pit into which the young Count Karel Jáchym Slavata fell while hunting on 13 October 1662. In a pit from which he could not free himself in mortal anxiety he promised that if he was saved he would enter the monastery of such an order to which the monk he would first meet belonged. He was liberated by Vanov peasants. He fulfilled his promise and became a monk of the Carmelite order. In memory of this event his mother Františka Slavatová had a chapel built above the wolf pit the following year. Calvary (cross with statues of the Virgin Mary, St. John and Mary Magdalene) is erected near the chapel.
Churches and towers nice walk along the linden alley to the chapel around Snake Lake on foot and by bike, educational trail or city tourist circuit. New cycle path and inline trail Lipkami in the woods singletrail area.
VLOŽIL: Eliška Rodová (26.04.2021)
, UPRAVIL:
Eliška Rodová (11.05.2021)
