Velehrad basilica and monastery

The Velehrad monastery was founded in the early 13^th century by the Margrave of Moravia Vladislaus Henry near a location called Veligrad, which in the 14^th century was regarded as the centre of the former Great Moravian Empire. A stone convent was built quickly, as well as the magnificent monastery basilica, measuring 100 metres in length, which made it the largest church in the Czech lands. However, the era of prosperity suddenly ended in 1421, when the monastery was devastated by the Hussite army to such an extent that it deteriorated for the following 150 years. A thorough reconstruction of the entire complex in Baroque style began in the late 17^th century, giving it its current appearance. The church, modified according to Giovanni Pietro Tencalla’s design, was ceremoniously consecrated on 2 October 1735, while work on the other buildings lasted until the second third of the 18^th century.

Emperor Joseph II dissolved the monastery in 1784 and the church became a parish church. In the 19^th century, the monastery complex became a popular pilgrimage site owing to the increasingly popular cult of Saints Cyril and Methodius. The first official celebrations of the arrival of the two saints in Moravia, held in 1863, were very well received and between the 1860s and 1880s Velehrad became a real pilgrimage site. The Velehrad Pilgrimage was also one of the most significant manifestations of Czech patriotism, the ideas of Pan-Slavism and the spiritual legacy of the tradition of Saints Cyril and Methodius. In 1928, the church was awarded the title of basilica minor and apart from Virgin Mary it was also devoted to Saints Cyril and Methodius. The tradition of the Velehrad Pilgrimage, now one of the largest religious manifestations on the territory of the Czech Republic, could not be stopped even by the communist regime. Pope John Paul II visited the basilica in 1990 and gave it the so-called gold star, emphasising its spiritual importance. The Velehrad Pilgrimage, organised annually on 5 July, is attended by tens of thousands of believers even in the 21^st century.

The church has mostly preserved its floorplan and the proportions of the original basilica, which is now evoked by the reconstructed main apsis, although its appearance is otherwise entirely Baroque. During its reconstruction, its Romanesque front was torn down, reducing its height to 86 metres, and the original front was replaced by two narrow towers. A dome with a low roof lantern was built above the crossing of the naves. The magnificent vault of the central nave, finished in 1722, is covered by trompe l’oeil paintings, which make it appear two storeys higher than it is. Side chapels are also richly decorated, with paintings as well as sculptures and stucco decorations by the Italian artist Baldassaro Fontana. The tradition of Saints Cyril and Methodius is expressed in the chapels, which are devoted to each of the saints, and in numerous paintings of scenes from the legends about Saints Cyril and Methodius.