Church of Saint Gotthard, Roman Catholic church on Arnošt of Pardubice Square in Český Brod, Czech Republic
The Church of Saint Gotthard is a large Catholic church in Český Brod with roots in the medieval period and architectural layers from multiple eras. Its interior displays Gothic and Baroque elements, while a separate bell tower stands adjacent to the main structure.
A single-nave Romanesque church stood here from 1136; its sandstone-block walls now form the sacristy. Around 1350 Archbishop Arnošt of Pardubice had a new church begun by the Arras court workshop, adding a five-sided presbytery and a three-nave basilica, with a twin-tower west front built under Archbishop Olbram III of Škvorec. Hussites burned the church in 1421, killing about 200 people sheltering inside; it was repaired in 1457, burned again in 1512 and rebuilt in late Gothic style. Late Renaissance work in 1613 raised the side aisles and vaulted them with lunettes, and in 1765–1776 Jan Josef Wirch baroqued the building, lowering the Gothic towers and replacing the front with a single central tower.
The church is dedicated to Saint Gotthard, whose statue stands beside the tower, while statues of Saints Ludmila and Wenceslas flank the main entrance, all carved by Štěpán Zálešák in 1913. The separate bell tower, rebuilt by mason Pavel between 1578 and 1585, keeps a single surviving bell named Marie, cast in 1689 by Jeremiáš Schrotter of Náchod; it weighs 650 kg and is 70 cm tall.
The building sits centrally on a square in Český Brod and is easily reached on foot. Visitors should note that access may be limited during services.
The free-standing bell tower was built in 1578–1585 by the Český Brod stonemason Pavel in the corner of the former churchyard. Its onion dome with a lantern was replaced in the second half of the 18th century by the present steep pitched roof. The single surviving bell, "Marie", cast in 1689 by Jeremiáš Schrotter of Náchod, is 70 cm tall and weighs 650 kg.
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