kostel Nanebevzetí Panny Marie (Uničov) Church

The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is located in the centre of Moravian city Uničova and is one of the important cultural monuments of the Czech Republic. It serves as a parish church Uničova in Olomouc archdiocese. The construction connects the elements of Gothic architecture, which form the basis of it, with the baroque interventions which gradually arose over the centuries.

The history of the church is closely related to Uničov itself. In 1213, Uničov was promoted to a city and with this naturally related city equipping by city churches. However, no reliable testimonies are kept about the shape and location of any church from the 13th century. It was not until the beginning of the 14th century that a church building was built, which stands here today. The year 1330 is most often given as the date of origin of the church, although the exact date is not known. Some historians believe that the construction could have started at the end of the 13th century.

The construction process took place in seven well documented stages. The first phase (approximately 1290 to 1300) included the construction of presbytery and sacristy from the east, while the lower parts of both west towers were rising. In the second stage (around 1300 to 1325) the first tower floor was created and it was created by портал with a large west window with four pieces. In the third stage (around 1325 to 1330) the construction continued on the south tower. The fourth stage (approximately 1300 to 1365) was dedicated to the construction of tripods and perimeter walls. The fifth stage at the beginning of the 15th century brought the construction of the facade between the towers, the sixth stage in the 15th century closed the southern tower with an octrobical superstructure. The last stage around 1713 is represented by a late Gothic chapel built on the south side of the presbytery.

The skeleton burned down seven times during its existence: between 1395, 1468, 1531, 1595, 1643, 1779 and 1796. The most famous is the 1643 fire related to the Swedish occupation of the city. The roof burned, the gothic vault collapsed, and both towers with four bells. After the fire in 1531, the north tower was raised and equipped with atics and the south tower was rebuilt by two floors. In the 17th century, there were baroque interventions, including partial deconstructions of Gothic cross vaults. The Gothic vaults were preserved only in the western field at the Krucht and in the sacristy. After the fire in 1779 was repaired with the support of Empress Marie Terezie. In 1783, new bells were made.

The last extensive repair of the church took place in 2007. The construction thus represents a long development from purely gothic beginnings to baroque flavors to the present day. The visitor can observe architectural transformations here for centuries, written down in stone elements as well as in the history of fires that constantly tested the Gothic building.