Kostel Zjevení Páně (Velehrad) Church

The Church of the Revelation of Our Lord in Velehrad, which has long been called the Cyrilka, stands not far from the Velehrad Basilica. It belongs to the heritage-protected area of the Cistercian monastery and has been a national cultural monument since 2008. Originally it was dedicated to the Body and Blood of Our Lord, and it has borne its current dedication since 1863.

The chapel was created at the end of the 13th century, initially for monks, and later also for pilgrims and residents of the pre-monastery settlement. For a long time it was mistakenly considered to be the oldest surviving structure from the time of Great Moravia. People believed that Cyril and Methodius celebrated Mass in it. It was also told that the angry King Sviatopluk rode into it on horseback. He wanted to punish Methodius because he did not wait for the King to return from hunting before beginning Mass. It was precisely this belief that ultimately saved the chapel from destruction.

In 1421 a Hussite raid destroyed the entire monastery. After repairs, the chapel served visitors who were not allowed in the monastery because they were not members of the order. As the population of Velehrad grew, it became a parish church. After the monastery was abolished in 1784, it became a cemetery chapel. When a new cemetery was established in 1832, it was left abandoned. Count Jiří Sina, who inherited it, according to available accounts used it as a hay barn or gunpowder store.

In 1863 Archbishop Bedřich Fürstenberg purchased the chapel from Sina and restored its original purpose. At his expense it was completely renovated in the Neo-Gothic style. The design comes from the Viennese architect Ervin Lippert. Experts highly appreciate his reconstruction from 1859 to 1863. Lippert added a small sanctus bell tower to the roof. Hanging in it is a bell dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary with a bottom diameter of 41 centimeters. It rang for the last time before the onset of communism. It did not ring even during the visit of Pope John Paul the Second.

In the first half of the 20th century, the idea of unifying the divided Church was growing stronger. For this reason, a liturgical space for priests of the Eastern rite was supposed to be created in Velehrad. This did not succeed in the basilica, so in 1929 the Cyrilka was chosen. An iconostasis, a wooden wall with painted images following the pattern of the Novgorod painting school from the 14th century, separated the presbytery from the nave.

The structure has a rectangular nave and a shorter, narrower presbytery. The presbytery is ended by five sides of an octagon and vaulted with a fan vault. Its ribs are connected by a boss with the initials IHS. The west facade has a simple portal with a pointed arch. Above it is a round window with tracery, a coupled window, and at the top a stone cross.