Church of Saint James the Greater, Gothic church in Prachatice, Czech Republic.
The Church of Saint James the Greater is a hall church with three naves of equal height, a polygonal presbytery and a two-tower front. The south tower, 53 m high, is topped since 1842–1843 by a minaret-like extension; the north tower remained unfinished after the 1501 fire and has only a low roof.
Construction began in the first half of the 14th century and underwent major reconstruction following a fire at the start of the 16th century. This rebuilding campaign shaped the building's appearance we see today.
The vault keystones carry carved heads: Christ, a lamb and the bust of Saint James in the presbytery. On the triumphal arch a painted date of 1500 survives beside the five-petalled rose of the Rožmberks and the arms of the Rabštejns, who funded the late Gothic rebuilding.
The church stands between the town square and the former walls, at Děkanská 383 in Prachatice. The south tower, 53 m high, is the one to look for when orienting yourself; the north tower was never finished and carries only a low roof over the bell frame. The interior is entered through the west portal under the two-tower front.
The south tower is 53 m high and was given its present top in 1842–1843, when a minaret-like extension replaced the onion dome damaged in the 1832 fire. The north tower, left unfinished after the 1501 fire, carries only a low roof over its bell frame.
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