St. Catherine's Rotunda

The St. Catherine's rotunda in Česká Třebová is the oldest building in the town as well as the only preserved Romanesque rotunda in the Eastern Bohemia. Its origin is in a shroud of secrecy till nowadays as the question when, by whom and why it was built up just here has not been answered yet. This town inhabitants thus considered its origin to be a miracle. According to a legend St. Catherine appeared at the chapel location with an apron filled with stones expressing thus her wish to have the chapel built up right here. However, local people did not meet her wish and started building at some other place. But their work was useless there, as what was built during a day, was destroyed during the next night. Eventually there was no other choice but building the chapel at the very location chosen by St. Catherine.  

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Another legend says that the chapel should have been originally built in the nearby village Skuhrov. Local people started gathering needy building material, mainly stones and wood. Supposedly by means of God's miracle, all the material was moved onto the hill above Česká Třebová, and that is why the chapel was built here. Historians believe that the building was built in connection with founding of the town around beginning of the 13^th century.

At that time the rotunda might have functioned as a private chapel of an unknown noble locator, in other words of a person in charge of Česká Třebová founding. Only later did it start to serve to the inhabitants of a newly arisen town. The first written reference about it can be found in the Latin legal document of the reeve Lipolt from 1335.

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Originally Romanesque building was reconstructed and repaired many times during centuries. Gothic adaptations, especially stone reveal around west entrance into the nave as well as an asymmetric cross vault in the apsis of the rotunda date back to 14^th century. We can find intensely stylised human faces on the consoles of two ribs. Also they are connected with a legend. In accordance with this legend one of them is the chapel donator's and the other one the builder's.

The rotunda was repaired sometime around the year 1556. Renaissance sgraffiti decorating the outer façade of the building come just from this period.

Next repair dates back to the year 1746. At that time there were added wooden antechambers in front of both the west and the south entrances, designated among others for storage of funeral equipment and tools. Surrounding cemetery served for burials of dead people not only from Česká Třebová but also from the nearby associated villages. As its capacity was not sufficient, there was a charnel house added to the rotunda in which bones from old and cancelled graves were deposited. Its entrance lead from the newly constructed sacristy located right above the charnel house.

Some hundred years later, around 1840, both the already decayed antechambers were pulled down. The one in front of the main entrance was replaced by the bricked, classicism-styled one. Also the charnel house was cancelled, the sacristy was however preserved.

In 1905 the town built up a new cemetery, the existing one - in the rotunda vicinity - was cancelled as an unnecessary one. The building itself thus lost its centuries old funeral chapel purpose and began decaying because it was no longer in use. In 1916 the chapel had to be completely closed because of its bad condition. Luckily the town's representatives were aware of its historical and architectural value and therefore they were making efforts to preserve it. However, their efforts were slowed down by the First World War, which brought about other serious problems. Further steps in the process of reconstruction could thus be carried out only after the War´s end.

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Works on the building reconstruction were finally started in 1920. At first the run-down sacristy from 1746 was pulled down, on this occasion the charnel house dated back to the same year was discovered. Already mentioned ornamental sgraffiti were uncovered by bricklayers during chipping off the walls. The sgraffiti were uncovered just bellow the crown cornice of the nave, while in the apsis it was about 1,5 meter lower. It implies, that in the time of their origin the apsis was lower than the nave itself and it was extended by an additional wall later. Sgraffiti framed also the original windows located in other place than the nowadays ones, made most probably during the 1746 adaptations. It was shown as well, that the original floor laid about half meter lower than the current one. Discovery of vault springings then proved the fact that today's flat ceiling was once vaulted. Just before completing of repairs it was decided to change the interior. The choir from 1874 equipped with many pictures (painted most probably by the Česká Třebová´s nativity-scene painter Karel Jankele Sr.) was shortened to let more light come into the space.

Also the close belfry built in the 16^th or 17^th century was included into repairs. Its ground floor - up till that time bricked from outside so that it could function as a mortuary - was broken through and adapted to serve as a gate. It replaced the existing small gate in the stone enclosing wall. The works lasted till 1922, then the rotunda was re-consecrated and was serving its purpose for many decades.

The last large repair was being carried out from the 2^nd half of the last century nineties till the year 2002.

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Within this repair paintings on the string wall of the choir and especially the altar dominating the whole interior were restored. There is a late-Gothic plastic art of this chapel's patron saint St. Catherine of Alexandria in the altar centre. Neither its author nor its origin are known, its assumed that it was created sometime in between 1500-1600. In the St. Catherine's legend it is said that she was a king's daughter who dedicated her life to God and therefore she refused the emperor Maxentius. The refused emperor had her whipped and imprisoned her. The girl should have been tortured to death by putting into a wheel equipped with swords, however, the wheel was chopped by lightning. Afterwards the emperor had her sword-beheaded. This attribute is held in the Catherine's right hand, while in here left hand there is a book - a symbol of enlightenment. The legend says that she converted 50 pagan philosophers to the Christian faith. She was a favourite patron of the emperor Charles IV and she became a patron saint of the Charles University.

Similarly that we do not know an author of the St. Catherine's plastic art, we do not know authors of remaining altar parts either. The altar is rather newer, it was created in the 3^rd quarter of 17^th century as a place for the St. Catharine's statue. Apart from this one there are some more plastic arts. St. Rochus, a rich young man from Montpellier, gave away his wealth to the poor and was taking care of people suffering from plaque on his journey to Rome. He got infected himself and an angel was taking care of him, while his loyal dog was bringing him bread.

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Saint Sebastian, a Roman soldier of the emperor Diocletian's body guard, was helping to his imprisoned fellow Christians. He died as a martyr. He was bound-up to a tree and was made a life target for other soldiers.

St. Rose of Lima, a nun from the St. Dominic 3^rd order, was living a penitential life to conciliate cruelties of Spanish conquerors practised on local inhabitants. She liked flowers, by growing and selling them she earned her and her parents living and she became a gardeners´ patron saint.

St. Rosalia, originally a noble´s daughter, dedicated herself to God and lived by a hermit life style. It is said that moving of her relics to Palermo resulted in the end of plague epidemics. For this reason this Saint is considered to be a protector against plague.

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There is a Calvary located at the top of the altar, it means a cross with the Christ's body, below it there is a plastic art of the Virgin Mary the Painful and of the Saint John the Evangelist, an apostle, to whom the Christ - before his death - entrusted him his mother to take care of her.

The altar was not created by the only wood-carver, its parts come from several time periods, in spite of that it a charming piece of work. Since the end of reconstruction in 2002 the chapel has been serving to its religious purpose - Holy Masses, weddings, baptisms and other religious services have been held here. Restoration of baroque organ finished in 2006, enabled to use the intimate space of the sanctuary as a small concert hall.

There is held an annual event called "Jabkancová pouť" ("Potato-pancakes fair"), which has become an inseparable November local tradition before the holiday of St.Catherine in the area around the rotunda. 

Custodian of St. Catherine's Rotunda is:
Římskokatolická farnost-děkanství Česká Třebová
Klácelova 1
560 02 Česká Třebová
Tel.: 731 626 171
E-mail: kancelar@farnostct.cz
Web: http://www.farnostct.cz

Dean of faculties (Administrator chapelry): Mgr. Miloš Kolovratník

Actual programme of worship
http://www.farnostct.cz/soubory/porad.pdf