Cathedral of St. Bartholomew (Plzen)
Encyclopedia
The Cathedral of Saint Bartholomew (in Czech
katedrála sv. Bartoloměje) dominates the city center of Pilsen in the Czech Republic
.
The construction of the Gothic style building, located on the main square
, started in 1295 and was finished by the beginning of 16th century.
The building is 58m long, 30m wide and the spires are 25m high. The tall spire
is 102.6m high, being the highest in the Czech Republic, and also the third tallest building in the Czech Republic (tallest buildings in the Czech Republic) (until 1981).
The Madonna of Plzeň, a statue situated next to the altar, dates from 1390. The statue is an example of the "beautiful style" of the Czech Madonnas in gothic art. Šternberk Chapel, built during the first half of 16th century and decorated with Renaissance
wall paintings, was restored from ruins during 20th century.
In 1993, when Pope John Paul II
erected the Diocese of Plzeň, the church of St. Bartholomew was consecrated as the cathedral
of the new diocese.
The building is a state-protected cultural monument and is open to the public.
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
katedrála sv. Bartoloměje) dominates the city center of Pilsen in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
.
The construction of the Gothic style building, located on the main square
Main Square of Plzen
The Square of the Republic forms historical centre of Plzeň, Czech Republic. With size of 552 x 627 ft it is one of the largest medieval squares in the Czech lands....
, started in 1295 and was finished by the beginning of 16th century.
The building is 58m long, 30m wide and the spires are 25m high. The tall spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
is 102.6m high, being the highest in the Czech Republic, and also the third tallest building in the Czech Republic (tallest buildings in the Czech Republic) (until 1981).
The Madonna of Plzeň, a statue situated next to the altar, dates from 1390. The statue is an example of the "beautiful style" of the Czech Madonnas in gothic art. Šternberk Chapel, built during the first half of 16th century and decorated with Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
wall paintings, was restored from ruins during 20th century.
In 1993, when Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
erected the Diocese of Plzeň, the church of St. Bartholomew was consecrated as the cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
of the new diocese.
The building is a state-protected cultural monument and is open to the public.