Chapel of Holy Spirit, Baroque chapel in Liběchov, Czech Republic.
The Chapel of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Sepulchre and the Holy Cross, locally called the Horní kostel or Kostelíček, is an early Baroque chapel on a vineyard hill above Liběchov. Count Karel Hyacint Villani de Castolo Pilonico had it built, completed in 1654, with a crypt beneath. Jakub Veith added the tower in 1823 for bells moved from a wooden bell tower on the slope; a lightning strike set the tower on fire in April 1966.
Count Karel Hyacint Villani de Castolo Pilonico, owner of the Liběchov estate, had the chapel built on a vineyard hill and it was finished in 1654; he was buried in its crypt in 1656. Count Jan Jáchym Pachta funded a renovation in 1730, and in 1823 Jakub Veith added a tower housing bells moved from an older wooden bell tower on the slope below. Lightning set the tower on fire on the night of 13–14 April 1966; the tower and roof were repaired in 1968–69.
The chapel's full name, confirmed in 2021 with art historian Vítězslav Štajnochr, is the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Sepulchre and the Holy Cross. Its three patronages set the pilgrimage calendar: Pentecost for the Holy Spirit, Easter for the Holy Sepulchre, and 14 September, the Exaltation of the Cross. Locals also call it the Horní kostel (Upper Church) or Kostelíček.
The building is currently undergoing restoration work, which means visitor access may be limited or restricted. Before planning a visit, it is worth checking local information to learn whether parts of the interior or exterior can be viewed during reconstruction.
The chapel's full name is kaple sv. Ducha, Božího hrobu a sv. Kříže, confirmed in 2021 by the Liběchov sobě association with art historian Vítězslav Štajnochr. Until then, sources alternated between 'church' and 'chapel' and among the dedications. The name reflects three patronages: the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the Holy Sepulchre at Easter, and the Holy Cross on 14 September.
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