Pilgrimage Church of Saint John of Nepomuk

The Pilgrimage Church of Saint John of Nepomuk, known locally as Poutní kostel svatého Jana Nepomuckého, stands on Zelená hora (Green Hill) at the edge of Žďár nad Sázavou, Czech Republic, close to the old boundary between Moravia and Bohemia. It represents the final project of Johann Santini Aichel, a Bohemian architect who fused Borrominiesque Baroque with Gothic elements in both structure and ornament. The church was built after the Roman Catholic Church declared John of Nepomuk’s tongue incorruptible in 1719. Consecrated in 1720, construction continued until 1727. A serious fire later led to a change in the roof’s shape. Many of the furnishings were also designed by Santini, and the building is notable for its Gothic-inspired features and intricate symbolism, which were uncommon at the time. It became a World Heritage Site in 1994, with the nomination highlighting Santini’s use of mathematical ratios to create an independent spatial reality, where the number five dominates the layout and proportions.

The church was planned and built through the collaboration of Abbot Václav Vejmluva of the nearby Cistercian monastery in Žďár and architect Johann Santini Aichel. Vejmluva was a devoted follower of John of Nepomuk both before and after his beatification. Project preparation began between late April and early August 1719, directly after the discovery of preserved tissue in Nepomuk’s tomb at St. Vitus Cathedral on 15 April 1719. Santini was given the design, and Vejmluva is thought to have shared his ideas about the sanctuary and its symbols, but Santini worked independently, moving away from traditional religious forms. He transformed the abbot’s concept of a star-dominated church into an unusual shape that drew mixed contemporary reactions. As late as 1886, Friedrich Radnitzký called it a “visually mysterious phenomenon.” The project was completed quickly—dedicated in 1722—likely due to the strong collaboration between Vejmluva and Santini. The final building differs little from the original design.

On 17 July 1784, the roof and ambulatory caught fire. Local citizens, with significant help from Matěj Sychra, saved the church from total destruction. Permission to restore it came from the gubernium in 1792, on condition