Tower of the Deanery church at Písek
At the highest point of
the newly-created mediaeval town of Písek, the new parochial church
of the Birth of Virgin Mary was established. The church was built
out of the initiative of the Czech King, who was the holder of the
"patronate rights", by the Písek-Zvíkov construction company
between 1240 - 1260. The church was projected as a classical
three-naved basilica, with polygonal-ended presbytery, and with
western twin-towers. Before the end of the 13th Century, the Marian
Chapel was attached to the southern flank of the presbytery,
today´s sacristy. Original main entrance of the church was its
northern gate. The western entrance, the main entrance of today,
was established only in the second half of the 14th Century. The
other important addition in the south is the Chapel of Saint John
of Nepomuk, from the first half the 18th Century. The most
substantial alteration of the uniquely preserved early Gothic
architecture of the church, was the construction of a monumental
bell-tower at the south-western corner of the church. After its
completion in 1489, it became the most prominent feature of the
City of Písek skyline, and remains till the present. The
establishment of this bell-tower is documented by stone-inscription
in Latin, in the supraporta of the Western portico, which
reads:
In the Year of Our Lord 1489, this tower was
built
by Magister Nicolas of Písek.
Defend us we who love you, oh Jesus, from the adversaries.
The bell-tower might have served from its inception as a city "messenger facility" since at its very top an arcade with Gothic windows, and balustrade was created. The dwelling for the "messenger" was inserted to the balustrade level around 18th Century. The form of original Gothic roofing is not known, since in the last hours of A. D. 1555, the tower was struck by lighting, and was completely burn-out. Today´s neo-baroque tip of the bell-tower originates from approximately A. D. 1804. Original entry to the tower led upwards, by the exterior staircase to the western wall of the main-nave, and from there on the wooden stairs towards the balustrade. Today´s entrance, to the left of the main western portico, was established after A. D. 1855.
The western front of the church carries a very rich stone relief embellishments. Its iconographic concept is composed of two parts. The reliefs in the vicinity of the memorial inscription of 1489 are associated with the bell-tower construction, and with the church as such. The busts, to the right of the inscription, above the arms of the Czech Kingdom, portrays with great probability the King Wladislas II. of the House of Jagellon (1471 - 1516), and his son and successor Luis (1516 - 1526), as royal masters of the town. The bust at the left, above the City of Písek coat-of-arm (the oldest extant example in town), probably portrays the founder of the bell-tower Nicholas of Písek. Above this "earthly" level of embelishments, the world of supranatural eternity is depicted, connected with eucharist processions. Into the window armature the Christ benedicting the Chalice, during the Last Supper, further saint Evangelists Matthias, Mark, Lucas and John, represented by their attributes, and by its names, are cut-in. The composition of the reliefs is completed by a pair of Angels, adoring the chalice (cut-out in the 17th Century, as a purported vestige of Reformation), and the other side of this ashlar carries Marian emblem. Virgin Mary, as the patroness of the parochial church, was memorialized by the most extensive relief, located to the west. With eucharist iconography conforms the half-figure relief of the Suffering Christ with Thorn Crown.
In the belfry are installed, at present, four bells from the 1990´, the largest of them - St. Wenceslas - weights 1300 kg. The original bells were destroyed by fires, and by war-time requisitions.
Mgr. Jan Adámek
File date: 28.5.2009
