RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
A1 Prix, Dalibor
T1 Medieval Church of Saint Erasmus in Rohozná near Polička
JF Průzkumy památek
YR 2019
VO 26
IS 1
SP 25
OP 58
DO 10.56112/pp.2019.1.03
UL https://pruzkumypamatek.cz/en/artkey/prp-201901-0003.php
AB Despite its enlargement and reconstruction by František Schmoranz the Elder in the late 19th century, the rustic aisleless church of Saint Erasmus in Rohozná (Svitavy District) retained its medieval core consisting of the straight-ended elongated presbytery and a wide nave. The church has attracted attention since the mid-19th century especially for its unusual vault which gives the impression of a polygonal termination to the oblong choir ground plan. However, during the 20th century and in the early 21st century, attention was reduced to mere mentions in wider explanatory contexts (e.g. Václav Mencl, Jan Sommer, and most recently Jakub Adamski) or contrarily was mainly focused on the structure regardless of its architectural context (e.g. Zdeněk Wirth, Dobroslav Líbal). This led to the dispersion of dates of origin; with respect to the latest non-destructive surveys and comparisons to adjacent structures the dating has been specified to 1340 - before 1349. It shows that the church in Rohozná is the oldest surviving example of a special-type vault, referred to as pseudopolygonal (the term was coined and reasoned by Jakub Adamski in 2013), among the rustic aisleless churches in Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia. Taking into account the latest findings (e.g. Jan Beránek in the Czech lands or the Austrian research over the past couple of years) and comparing it to structures that have not yet been included in publications (Chapel of St Catherine in Krems an der Donau, Church of St Martin in Neukirchen an der Wild in Lower Austria), a new explication can be drafted regarding one branch of the medieval process of gradual changes of Gothic vault art prior to the reformation appearance of Peter Parler in the third quarter of the 14th century.