Church of Saints John and Paul in Krteň, Roman Catholic church in Krteň, Czech Republic.
The Church of Saints John and Paul in Krteň is a Romanesque church founded around 1250, completely rendered in white plaster because of its mixed masonry. Neo-Romanesque lesenes and an arched frieze decorate the exterior, the windows end in round arches, and a square west tower with grouped windows dominates the facade. The east end keeps its Gothic character with a five-sided apse and massive buttresses.
Built around 1250 as a late Romanesque proprietary church for a manor, it became a parish church in 1352. The village of Krteň vanished during the Thirty Years' War, but the church and cemetery survived as the spiritual centre of neighbouring villages. Arnošt Živný led a purist Neo-Romanesque restoration in 1890 that saved the building from decay.
The church's dedication to Saints John and Paul dates from 1371, when Queen Elizabeth of Pomerania walked from Karlštejn to Prague to pray for the recovery of the ill Charles IV. News of the king's recovery reached her at Krteň, and out of gratitude she endowed the church, which was then rededicated to the saints of 26 June. A cemetery still surrounds the building.
The church stands on a spur above the Dalejský potok in the cadastral area of Třebonice, on Prague's western edge, at the site of the vanished village of Krteň. A cemetery surrounds it today. The building is a protected cultural monument, so access to the interior depends on services and heritage opening arrangements.
A legend from 1371 tells that Queen Elizabeth of Pomerania walked from Karlštejn to Prague to pray for the healing of Charles IV; at Krteň she learned he had recovered and gave the church money in thanks. Because this happened on 26 June, the church was rededicated to Saints John and Paul, whose feast falls on that day.
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