Rotunda of Saint Martin, Romanesque rotunda in Vyšehrad, Czech Republic.
The Rotunda of Saint Martin is a circular stone building with a cylindrical nave, an eastern apse, and walls built from local limestone about one meter thick. Its compact, solid form is typical of Romanesque architecture from this period.
The building was constructed around 1100 and survived both the Hussite Wars and the Thirty Years War, when it served as a gunpowder storage. These conflicts left their marks on the structure.
Inside, wall paintings from the 1870s show religious scenes that give the space a spiritual feel. These images and the marble altar shape how the building appears to visitors today.
The building is open year-round, but the best time to visit is outside of service times when you can explore without interruption. Regular masses happen several times a week and may affect your visit.
A Prussian cannonball from the 1757 siege remains embedded in the facade next to a window as a testament to wartime. This unexpected detail tells a story from a turbulent past.
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