Church of Saint Catherine, Catholic church in Libá, Czech Republic.
The Church of Saint Catherine in Libá is a single-nave masonry building on a rectangular plan with a polygonal end and a low prismatic tower on the west side, covered by a tiled hipped roof. The Baroque rebuilding of 1753–1763 reversed its orientation, so the presbytery now lies to the west. The south facade has pilasters on lesenes carrying a continuous architrave, frieze and cornice, with the entrance portal on its axis; the tower is of rough unplastered masonry.
Built in 1406 on a rocky spur near the former Libá castle and consecrated to the Holy Trinity and Saint Catherine, the church was rebuilt in Baroque form between 1753 and 1763 and reconsecrated to Saint Catherine on 9 October 1763. It was repaired around 1900, its south facade was restored in 2011 and its painted windows between 2014 and 2016. Talks in 2007–2011 on transferring it to the municipality failed.
The church is dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria; it was consecrated to the Holy Trinity and Saint Catherine in 1406 and reconsecrated to Saint Catherine alone on 9 October 1763. Its walls carry illusionistic altars, including an 18th-century painting of Saint Catherine that continues into a ceiling painting of the Holy Trinity. The building belongs to the Roman Catholic parish of Františkovy Lázně-venkov.
The church stands on a rocky spur above Libá, next to the site of the former castle, and is reached on foot; the tower is built of rough unplastered masonry. It is a filial church of the Roman Catholic parish Františkovy Lázně-venkov, so services are occasional rather than daily. Restoration work in 2011 and 2014–2016 concerned the south facade and the painted windows.
The church was built in 1406 on a rocky spur beside the former Libá castle and first dedicated to the Holy Trinity and Saint Catherine. During the Baroque rebuilding of 1753–1763 its orientation was reversed, so the presbytery now faces west. Between 2006 and 2014 the Programme for the Rescue of Architectural Heritage provided 4,745,000 CZK for repairs.
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