The Broumov churches by the Dientzenhofers are national cultural monuments

Prague – After today’s government meeting, the Czech national cultural heritage has expanded to include a collection called the Broumov Group of Churches, located in the Hradec Králové Region. Their authors are the notable Baroque architects Kryštof Dientzenhofer and his son Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer. The buildings will be designated as monuments with the highest state protection starting in July. Minister of Culture Martin Baxa (ODS) informed about the government's decision on social media.

This includes 11 monuments that form a mutually interconnected architectural ensemble. According to the Ministry of Culture, which proposed the declaration of the buildings as national cultural monuments, it is exceptional due to its stylistic unity, architectural uniqueness, authenticity, and scope, as well as its urbanistic impact on the landscape. "It is a great treasure in the Broumov region, creating a unique genius loci, and I believe it will also help strengthen interest in this part of the Czech Republic in the Hradec Králové Region," Baxa stated.

He previously reminded that last year marked the 270th anniversary of Kilián Ignác's death, and this June marks 300 years since the death of his father Kryštof. The designation of the collection as a national cultural monument is, according to him, a dignified reminder of the works of both Baroque masters.

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

The composed cultural landscape of Broumov was created in the first quarter of the 18th century thanks to the collaboration of the client, the abbot of Broumov Monastery, Otmar Zinke, and the Dientzenhofer father and son. They are the authors of ten of the 11 proposed monuments. The Baroque church of Our Lady, St. George, and St. Martin in Martínkovice was not designed by the Dientzenhofers; its author is Martin Allio. However, the church was at the beginning of the project for the Baroque reconstruction of the region and is thus part of the ingenious Baroque composition of the local cultural landscape.

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

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