Holy Trinity column in Horní Slavkov, Religious monument in Horní Slavkov, Czech Republic
The Holy Trinity column in Horní Slavkov stands on a three-stepped granite base that levels the sloping terrain of Kostelní street. On it rests a 1.3-metre sandstone plinth with shallow frames holding worn reliefs of Saints Florian, George, Roch and Sebastian, topped by a granite column with a Corinthian capital. The crowning sculpture of the Holy Trinity, carved from shell limestone, shows God the Father holding the dead Christ, with the Holy Spirit above.
The column was built around 1770 by an unknown sculptor, though Umělecké památky Čech dates it to about 1700. It is said to commemorate the plague epidemic of 1582–1584. It stands on a slope in Kostelní Street near the path to St George's Church, below the vanished Latin school that operated from 1554 to 1624 and was demolished in 1979. It was restored to its present form in 1936, with repairs in 1959, 1977, 1994 and 1997.
The column first appears in visual form in a 1739 engraving of the Horní Slavkov church by local painter Eliáš Dollhopf. It reportedly commemorates the plague epidemic of 1582–1584, and its sandstone base carries worn reliefs of Saints Florian, George, Roch and Sebastian, protectors invoked against fire and plague.
The monument sits in the town center of Horní Slavkov and is easy to reach on foot from various directions. Daytime visits work best since natural light helps you see the details of the stonework clearly.
The Trinity group at the top is carved from shell limestone, not sandstone like the 1.3-metre pedestal below it. God the Father holds the limp body of the Suffering Christ, with the Holy Spirit hovering above them — a Pietas Domini type. The four shallow panels on the pedestal, showing Saints Florian, George, Roch and Sebastian, are now badly weathered.
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