The Broumov group of churches is to become a national cultural monument

Church of St. Margaret in Šonov (photo: Eva Kašlíková)

Prague – The Ministry of Culture proposes to the government to declare the Broumov Group of Churches in the Hradec Králové Region as a national cultural monument. According to the submission report, the 11 monuments represent an interconnected architectural ensemble that is exceptional due to its stylistic coherence, architectural uniqueness, authenticity, and extent, as well as its urbanistic impact on the landscape. The declaration is planned to take effect from July of next year.

This year marks 270 years since the death of Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer, and in 2022, it will be 300 years since the death of his father, Christoph Dientzenhofer, who are the authors of the proposed buildings. Their declaration as national cultural monuments would be, according to the ministry, a dignified reminder of the work of both Baroque masters.

National cultural monuments constitute the most significant part of the cultural heritage of the Czech Republic and are subject to stricter protection than cultural monuments, of which there are many more. Proposals for national cultural monuments must, unlike cultural monuments declared by the Ministry of Culture itself, be discussed by the government.

The compositional cultural landscape of Broumov was created in the first quarter of the 18th century thanks to the collaboration of the commissioning personality, the abbot of Broumov Monastery, Otmar Zinke, and the father and son Dientzenhofers. They are the authors of ten of the 11 proposed monuments. While the Baroque church of St. Mary Magdalene, St. George, and St. Martin in Martínkovice was not designed by the Dientzenhofers, its author is Martin Allio, the church was the starting point of the Baroque architectural renewal project of the region, and it is thus part of the intricate Baroque composition of the local cultural landscape.

According to the ministry, the specificity of the ensemble lies in the incorporation of Baroque buildings into the landscape of the rock formations of the Broumov Walls. This incorporation creates a unique solution in the context of cultural landscapes, not only within the Czech Republic but also within Europe, as stated in the material for the government.

The proposed ensemble for declaration consists of:

• Church of St. Procopius in Bezděkov nad Metují
• Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Božanov
• Church of St. Wenceslas in Broumov
• Church of All Saints in Heřmánkovice
• Chapel of Our Lady of the Snow at Hvězda in Hlavňov
• Church of St. Barbara in Otovice
• Church of St. James the Greater in Ruprechtice
• Church of St. Margaret in Šonov
• Church of St. Archangel Michael in Vernéřovice
• Church of St. Anne in Vižňov
• Church of St. Mary, St. George, and St. Martin in Martínkovice