Saint Wenceslas Cathedral ( cs, Katedrála svatého Václava) is a gothic

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...

at Wenceslas Square in

Olomouc Olomouc (, , ; german: Olmütz; pl, Ołomuniec ; la, Olomucium or ''Iuliomontium'') is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 99,000 inhabitants, and its larger urban zone has a population of about 384,000 inhabitants (2019). Located on t ...

, in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

, founded in 1107. The square was named after Saint Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia on the thousandth anniversary of his death in 935. The cathedral is also named after him. The cathedral is the seat of the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Olomouc The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Olomouc ( cs, Arcidiecéze olomoucká, la, Archidioecesis Olomucensis) is a metropolitan archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church in the Czech Republic. It has its seat in Olomouc. Special churches ...

History

The cathedral began in the Romanesque style and was consecrated in 1131. Extensive Gothic modifications were made in 13th and 14th century. Bohemian king

Wenceslaus III of Bohemia Wenceslaus III ( cz, Václav III., hu, Vencel, pl, Wacław, hr, Vjenceslav, sk, Václav; 6 October 12894 August 1306) was King of Hungary and Croatia between 1301 and 1305, and King of Bohemia and Poland from 1305. He was the son of Wencesla ...

was murdered in a nearby house of the former dean of the cathedral on 4 August 1306. Wenceslaus III was the last of the male Přemyslid rulers of Bohemia. Gothic revival changes, which included refacing the building, rebuilding the west front and the construction of the central tower, were made during 1883–1892. These were designed by Gustav Meretta and R. Völkel. The cathedral was restored in 2004–2007.

Architecture

The cathedral is formed by three towers. The front two form the front, while the third one in the back, the southern tower, is with its height the tallest church tower in Moravia, and the second tallest church tower in the Czech Republic.

References

External links

Description and history of the cathedral
Religious buildings and structures completed in 1131 12th-century Roman Catholic church buildings 14th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the Czech Republic Gothic Revival church buildings in the Czech Republic Churches in Olomouc Roman Catholic cathedrals in the Czech Republic Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia {{CzechRepublic-church-stub