Baroque bridge in Náměšť nad Oslavou, Baroque bridge in Náměšť nad Oslavou, Czech Republic
The Baroque bridge in Náměšť nad Oslavou spans the Oslava on a straight, unbroken plan 62 metres long and 8 metres wide. Three triangular pillars two metres wide carry elliptical arches, the largest with a 10-metre span and 5-metre height; the deck rises to 6.2 metres. Twenty limestone statues, ten per side, stand on the railing.
The bridge was built after 1733, when Jan Filip Werdenberk died and Václav Adrian of Enckevoirt inherited the estate and initiated construction on the site of a previous bridge destroyed by flood. The sculptural decoration was commissioned by later owners Marie Františka and Hanuš Leopold of Kufštejn and completed in 1744. In 1812 a July flood damaged the bridge, and it was repaired by Henry William III Haugwitz.
The bridge displays twenty statues of saints and angels created between 1737 and 1744 by sculptors Josef Winterhalder and Alexander Jelínek. These figures shape how the structure looks and are immediately visible as you walk across.
The crossing is now open only to pedestrians, as a new bridge has redirected vehicle traffic since 1986. Visitors can explore the historic structure without distraction from modern traffic.
The Czech National Bank honored the structure by featuring it on a commemorative gold coin in 2012. This recognition reflects its importance as a national monument.
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