kostel sv. Matouše Church

The church of St. Matthew the Apostle in Hrádek near Ačebor belongs to the parish church of the territorial subordinate Prague Archdiocese. It lies on the island of Hradec above the meander of the river Blanice, originally in the neighbourhood of the fortress, which is now completely surrounded by the village. Since 1958 it has been protected as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic along with the cemetery wall, the statue of St. Wenceslas, the morgue and crosses at the gate of the cemetery.

The church was built in the first half of the 13th century. The written mention of him as a parish temple dates back to 1350. During the Hussite wars, the rectory was lost, and in 1467 a local fortress was burned. After 1547, the townspeople of Vlashimi initiated the restoration of the church, as Hrádek became part of the Hlashim household. Since the 17th century there have been pilgrims to the love statue of the throne of the Virgin Mary with Jesus, which has become the center of the religion of the believers.

The preserved building changes have shown the transformation of the building over centuries. Side chapel was added to the temple at the end of the 17th century. In 1765 the church received a higher floor tower with baroque fighting and lantern, while it was also close to the building for the priest. The year 1780 brought a ban on deserts, the statue was officially secured, but already in 1790 the pilgrims were allowed again. In 1787 a locality was established, which was promoted to parish in 1855. The first two priests served here since 1844 the regional historian Antonín Norbert Vlasák and František Dobromil Kamarýt. In 2001, the rectory was entrusted to the Congregation of the priests of the Marines.

The building is a one-ship building of medieval origin. On the west side dominates the prism tower with baroque dancing and lantern; The baroque noche with the statue of Our Lady of Lourdva is found in its roasting. The boat is illuminated by rectangular windows with semi-circular or segmented enchantments, presbytery is encapsulated by a gothic vault. The church is surrounded by a cemetery wall with two gates with baroque volute shield.

The interior bears traces of different times. The main altar with Baroque architecture from the first half of the 18th century features a modern picture of St. Matthew from 1902 in the development frame; The side goals are decorated with Baroque statues of the apostles Peter and Paul. The greatest treasures, however, are the Gothic statue of the Virgin Mary Hradec. Cut from lime wood to a height of 71,5 cm, formed between 1370-1380 in the same workshop as Madonna from Bečov nad heat. The statue shows all the signs of the beginning of a beautiful style: an esnately bent figure in a richly painted coat, a crown on his head. Santa Claus is in a live motion with his arms stretched out. This statue has become a target for the desert of the believers. The North Side Chapel of St. Joseph has equipment from 1896 with the statues of St. Joseph with Jesus, St. Ludmila and St. Elizabeth. There are three bells in the tower; the eldest is 1555.

The special feature is also the Chapel of the Virgin Mary Hradec, built in 1826 about 300 meters southwest of the church above the supposedly miraculous well. In 1904 it was rebuilt and its facade was decorated with two relief angels. Inside the chapel is a mosaic made of glazed ceramic fittings according to Jan Beneš's design, made in RAKO ceramic plants. Displays the apparitions of the Virgin Mary Hradec in the cloud and the view of the village.

The church is therefore worth a visit mainly due to its Gothic statue of the Virgin Mary, a unique monument item from the beginning of the 15th century, and the своей rich layered history from the Middle Ages to the present.