Budeč Rotunda, the oldest preserved building in the Czech Republic, celebrates 1100 years

PRAGUE - Budeč - this is a peak shrouded in legends, a symbol of Czech statehood, the alleged school of Prince Václav, a pilgrimage site, and also the oldest standing structure in the Czech Republic. Although the year of the founding of the rotunda of St. Peter and Paul is not precisely known, the Přemyslid prince Spytihněv had it built sometime after 895 and probably before 915. According to the Chronicle of Czech by Václav Hájek from Libočany, the correct year is considered to be 905. Therefore, grand celebrations of the millennium were held in 1905, leading to this year's celebrations of 1100 years of the Budeč rotunda, which will culminate on September 28.
The history of the settlement on the promontory above the Zákolanský stream, located near the village of Zákolany northwest of Prague, dates back deep into the past. Archaeologists have proven the settlement of the site by the knovíz culture, thus already in the late Bronze Age and at the beginning of the early Iron Age (8th to 6th century BC). Both Germans and Celts alternated here, and then the Slavic tribe of the Czechs occupied the Prague-Slansky area. They likely built a fortified settlement here in the 8th century, where they had their main residence initially.
In the second half of the 9th century, the Přemyslids built a significant fortified settlement here, and Budeč became one of the centers of their central Czech domain. The already vanished wooden buildings were fortified with three belts of ramparts up to five meters high with a stone frontal wall and wooden construction. These surrounded an area of 22 hectares and extended for 1770 meters. However, later Budeč lost its significance due to its remoteness and was replaced by Levý Hradec and then Prague. The last report of Budeč as an administrative center comes from the 13th century, when Queen Kunhuta donated it to the Vyšehrad chapter.
Remains of two belts of ramparts and primarily the rotunda of St. Peter and Paul have survived to this day. According to legends, in it the young Přemyslid Václav, future prince, saint, and patron of the Czech land, studied Latin books. A Romanesque tower was added to the original pre-Romanesque nave in the 12th century, a rectangular presbytery was connected to the nave around 1585, and in the 17th century, a sacristy was added. The main church nave of Spytihněv's construction has withstood all these modifications in an intact state, including the original vault.
In close proximity to the rotunda, archaeologists discovered the foundations of another church and residential buildings. The church dedicated to the Virgin Mary was built on the fortified settlement in the second half of the 10th century, and today it is remembered by a marked outline in the terrain.
The entire area is complemented by a cemetery with a baroque gate, which was established around the rotunda at the end of the 18th century. Among other things, there is the tomb of the prominent educator Karel Slavoje Amerling, the founder of the institute for the further education of teachers in Budeč. Budeč was also a burial site much earlier. A mystery is, for example, the mass grave from the 10th century found at a nearby burial site, where most skeletons showed signs of cuts and wounds. Inside the rotunda itself, a grave of a priest from the 17th century was found with a rich equipment (chalice, garment, book).
Budeč, thanks to the legend of St. Václav, played a significant role during the period of national revival. Numerous gatherings were held in Budeč, just like, for example, on Říp, and by the end of the 19th century, it became a symbol of the Czech nation. This tradition is maintained to this day; Budeč is still a pilgrimage site, numerous masses and other church and cultural events are held here. In 1962, it was declared a national cultural monument.