kaple (Město Touškov) Chapel

Welcome to this unique historical monument, which now opens up to you as an open book of the past. You are standing in front of the chapel of the Holy Cross in Touškov, located in the courtyard of a long-occupied cemetery, where the peace of your environment will awaken your imagination. This small, but significant building, built from unworked sandstone blocks, has been housed between trees and stones as a ghost pie maker in a white rose. Its terrace with cast iron railing and pseudo-Romanesque portal, which seemed to be the largest skeptic called to respect the past, yells you into a world where architecture speaks as loudly as human destinies.

So let's look at what surrounds this chapel and what makes it so memorable. In 1858, when the world was still wandering around in the mood of industrialization and change, something was built here that was different from everything else. This place became Jan Antonín Starck, the Earl of the Czech Manor, for whom this chapel was created as a family tomb. He wanted a place that would last for ages, and he chose this slightly romantic style, which in his time awakened memories of ancient times. The construction lasted only one year, completed in 1859, and stood unimaginable for that period twelve thousand gold. The money was like an investment in memory that was meant to last beyond the power of time.

The architect of this form was Ludvík Wildt, a man whose work was not lost here. Look at the facade where the pseudo-Romanesque portal welcomes your eyes with its finely curved tribes and decorative motifs that resemble a stone dress. The window inside hits the light as a blue powder, which is projected on the floor and walls, where the sculptures complement the atmosphere of peace. Feel how the stones bond with nature, how the patio and cast iron railing create boundaries between the world of the living and the dead. This architecture is not only about aesthetics, but about the desire to preserve the very nature of the relationship between man and his place.

Now let's look at the stories that left traces in this place. Jan Antonín Starck was a man who wanted to control his death. His family will find rest here, not only in this chapel, but also in nearby cemetery lakes, where his relatives and friends will find a place between the stones. But this story is nothing simple. Ludvík Wildt, the architect who created this chapel, was himself buried here in 1883. His grave, laid in the corner of the cemetery, is like the last message of his work. You know that even though his name is not so loudly known as other architects, his work here survived as proof of his art and devotion.

What might surprise you are the events that took place here in the second half of the twentieth century, where we stand today. The chapel became the target of burglaries who wanted to destroy what was important. Vandalism can only be superficial malice, but it turns out that even such unwanted events can help to preserve the memory. In 1998, this chapel was officially declared a cultural monument, which was a confirmation that its value remained beyond the power of time. And now, in 2025, there is a reconstruction that includes anthropological research. This is like a new chapter in a book where scientists explore what stones and foundations can say about the people who lived here and died.

Let's move on to something you might be interested in. Do you know that this chapel is not only a place for funerals, but a place where memories and stories were collected? The chapel of the Holy Cross was built as a family tomb for John Antonín Starck and his family, but over the years it also became a symbol of their power and influence. Every stone, every window, every detail was chosen knowing that this building should persist. And it lasted. Although the world was changing, although politics and society were changing, this chapel remained a fixed point in the map of history.

Now, when you turn around, look at the surrounding cemetery. You see other graves, other stories, other names that have disappeared here. The chapel of the Holy Cross is like a center around which many lives revolve. Your visitor, who stands before him, is part of this story. Your questions, your interest, your quest to understand the past - it all helps to keep this monument from losing its soul.

If you're more interested, look at the surrounding graves, where you'll find other stories of the Starck families and others who lived here. Look at the facade, see the atmosphere that persists here. The chapel of the Holy Cross is not only about architecture, but about the people who created it and who loved it. Her story is your story, because history is like a current that never ends.

Thank you for looking at this wonderful memory today. I wish you many experiences and memories that will accompany you for a long time. Let this chapel let you think about what remains, even if everything around it changes. May the journey bring you new discoveries and new stories. Sincerely, and I hope to see you again soon.