Church of Saint James, Beroun, Gothic Catholic church in Beroun-Centrum, Czech Republic.
The Church of Saint James the Great is a three-nave Baroque building on Gothic foundations, dominating the upper part of Husovo Square; its main entrance faces the smaller Seydlovo Square. A prismatic bell tower built in 1677–1683 by Prague builder Václav Kapoun stands between the south wall of the nave and the presbytery. The presbytery retains Gothic pointed windows with original tracery.
Construction of the church began in the 13th century and the building survived numerous fires and conflicts throughout the following centuries. The structure visitors see today reflects different phases of rebuilding and adaptation to changing times.
The high altar painting of Saint James the Great and the painting of Saint John of Nepomuk in the left aisle were made by Jan Petr Molitor in 1744. The tin baptismal font dates from 1606 and was made by Matouš Flemík of Rakovník. A plaque above the choir loft commemorates Martin Podstatný, founder of Beroun's music school.
The main entrance is on the smaller Seydlovo náměstí, not on Husovo Square, where the church forms the upper square's dominant feature. A side entrance with a Renaissance portal opens from the south. The church stands in Beroun-Centrum, Central Bohemian Region, and is protected as a cultural monument.
The plague column in front of the entrance dates from 1681 and originally stood in the upper part of Husovo Square; it was moved to the church. The epidemic of 1680 killed 341 of Beroun's inhabitants, half the town's population.
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