Modřice, kostel sv. Gotharda

The area of the church is situated in the centre of Modřice town on a small hill. Perhaps a medieval bishop´s castle used to stand near the church. A Renaissance fortification stone wall with loopholes makes the border of an irregular floor plan. There are two entrances into the area. A little Baroque gate, connected with an alley in the northeast, and a wide gate in the south. There used to be a cemetery in the space between the wall and the church till 1880.
The church was rebuilt and repaired many times. A deanery was established there in 1757. Parts of the medieval building can be found on the south wall. During repairs in 1970s, a fragment of the original Romanesque masonry with round windows and a part of the portal from the beginning of 13th century was found there too. A Renaissance stone portal from 1540 was found in the west part of the church. A chapel of St. John of Nepomuk was built there in 1738. Under the chapel, there is a crypt. A basis of a tower was found there, it probably belonged to the oldest church tower from the 13th century.
A fire heavily destroyed the church and the whole town 7th August 1724. Only 8 houses were left. A repair was made soon, but due to a lack of money, it was of poor quality. Therefore, a radical reconstruction of the church was done from 1780 to 1784 and gave the church its current appearance. In the interior of the church we can find some precious pieces of art. A late Gothic set of statues called the Mount Olivet was created before the year 1482. The author probably is Nicolas Gerhaert of Leyden, the Dutch sculptor, or someone from his disciples. The set consists of polychrome statues of Christ, the apostles John, James and Peter, and an angel. Part of the set has been lent to Brno museums for a long time. The Classicist furnishings of the church come mainly from the time of the last big reconstruction, especially from 1790 to 1800. The altar and the pulpit were made by Ondřej Schweigel, the Brno sculptor. Ferdinand Licht, the painter, is the author of the monumental picture of St. Gothard, that is situated on the altar. On the mensa of the altar, a Gothic wooden statuette of the Madonna with the Child is placed. It was created in 1432. Opposite the entrance, the Pieta of the Virgin Mary stands. It comes from the abolished church in Slatinka. There are two large frescoes on the ceiling vault. The first fresco depicts a pilgrimage stop. The second fresco depicts the death of St. Gothard. They were created by painter Rudolf Adámek, the student of Professor František Ženíšek.

Distance from the object

Railway station

Bus stop