Barokní most, Baroque stone bridge in Žďár nad Sázavou, Czech Republic
Barokní most is a three-arch granite bridge over the Stržanovský potok, linking the Bránský and Konventský ponds below the hill of the Church of St John of Nepomuk. It is 25 m long and 6 m wide, with three 9 m segmental arches, pointed piers and eight Baroque statues of saints on volute-decorated pedestals. It carries road I/37.
Abbot Bernard Hennet of the Cistercian monastery had the bridge built in 1761 on the site of an earlier wooden bridge, inspired by Prague's Charles Bridge. A different date, 1766, is carved beneath the statue of Methodius. Repairs in 1947 added a reinforced-concrete slab, and in 2008–2009 the arches and piers were repaired and the original statues replaced by copies.
The Baroque style shapes how this bridge looks and how people move through the town center. The eight statues lining the railings reflect the artistic traditions that were important when the bridge was built.
The bridge can be crossed on foot or by car and provides easy access between different parts of town. It sits at ground level and connects naturally with the surrounding streets.
The statues on the bridge today are copies: during the 2008–2009 repair the originals were moved to the nearby Dolní hřbitov cemetery, laid out by Jan Santini. The figure of Methodius bears a different carved date, 1766, and the sculptor of the eight saints is unknown.
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