Today I will take you to the religious monuments of the town of Říčany by Prague. It is in the Czech Republic, in the centre of Europe. Last Saturday I had some errands to run there and took some time to walk around the town.
Today Říčany is a small, 17 thousand inhabitants, sleepy town. It was not always so. The first mention of the town dates back to the 13th century and it used to be a rich and important town.
In old European cities, the centre of the city used to be one central square and a Christian church on it. The church not only had a religious function, but also displayed the wealth of the city.
This is the Church of Saints Peter and Paul on the square in Říčany.
The church acquired its present appearance between the 18th and 19th centuries. It shows elements of Baroque and Classicism. But just take a closer look.
These elements are gothic. In the 15th century, religious wars raged in the Bohemian Kingdom. In the 17th century, the Czech lands were hit by the Thirty Years' War, which also had a strong religious overtone. Church buildings became the object of deliberate destruction and, of course, because of their wealth, also the object of looting. Very little of the original church has survived.
Říčany is not a tourist town. On Saturday morning, when I was here, there was a normal life going on.
Thanks to global warming, spring arrived a month early this year.
But the vegetation is not yet so lush that you can't see through it.
The architecture is therefore still visible through the trees. Unfortunately, cars are opaque. But as I wrote, it's a living city.
The Baroque Marian column, most often from the 17th century, is part of the square in almost every town in our country. The inhabitants used the column to give thanks for the end of a plague or war. It is the same in Říčany.
A farmer's market was held in town on Saturday. You can see the statue of St. Mary Immaculata with free-range eggs. I'll try to get a better picture.
I'm not completely satisfied.
Is it better this way? I don't think so. Fortunately, there are other statues here.
The oldest Czech patron saint is Saint Wenceslas.
The most famous Czech saint in the world is probably St. John of Nepomuk.
Říčany is not only the main square and the church. There is more to see here. I'll definitely come back.
Kostel sv. apoštolů Petra a Pavla, Říčany u Prahy
Už jsem se lehce zmínil, že jsem z praktických důvodů navštívil Říčany u Prahy. A když už jsem tam byl, tak jsem si je trochu prošel. Tedy... Spíš proběhl.
Začal jsem samozřejmě na náměstí. Jeho dominantou je samozřejmě kostel. Jsme v Evropě, že.
Kostel měl smůlu. Husiti město dobyli. A z kostela zbylo sotva příslovečné sblo. Trocha toho obrazoborectví, trocha rabování. Jen kostel trochu opravili, Třicetiletá válka... Takže dnešní podoba je z roku 1719. A později.
Říčany nejsou turistické město. Bylo docela náročné najít vteřinu, kdy záběr nebyl plný aut a lidí. Do toho sobotní trhy... Panna Maria Immaculata s domácími vejci z volného chovu.
Já se tam vrátím... Další kontrolu mám 25.10. To už opadá listí. Nebo bude aspoň do červena nebo žluta... Prostě fotky zas budou vypadat jinak.
V příštím článku si odskočím na msítní hrad. Teda na jeho zříceninu. Taky husiti...
