Cathedral of St. Bartholomew, Gothic cathedral in Plzeň, Czech Republic
The Cathedral of St. Bartholomew is a Gothic church in central Plzeň with tall pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and a slender tower. The interior shows long rows of stone columns, colored glass windows, and a main altar from the 19th century.
The church was probably founded together with Plzeň around 1295; construction of the present building began with the presbytery after 1342, when the Teutonic Order won its dispute over the parish. The nave and aisles followed after 1360, and the south tower was never finished. The parish church became a cathedral on 31 May 1993, when Pope John Paul II created the Diocese of Plzeň.
The church is dedicated to St. Bartholomew, and from 1310 the Teutonic Order held the patronage, confirmed in 1322 and kept until 1546, when the city of Plzeň took it over. The Sternberg Chapel, added in the 1470s–1480s as the family's funerary chapel, holds the tomb of Jaroslav of Sternberg, buried there in 1472.
The church stands on a large square in the town center and is easily reached on foot. Those who wish to climb the tower should wear sturdy shoes and allow some time for the ascent.
The north tower reaches 102.26 metres, making it the tallest church tower in the Czech Republic. Its present spire is a simplified copy of the late Gothic original, rebuilt by builder František Filous after lightning struck the tower on 6 February 1835.
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