Church of the Holy Trinity in Klášter
Between 1501 and 1507, a Pauline monastery was built here; the Paulines had arrived in 1491.
In the small village of Klášter, on the road from Nová Bystřice to Slavonice, the Paulines were tasked with finding a place east of the Alps where three healing springs converge, and they found this spot.
On July 22, 1533, the monastery was burned down by the Anabaptists, but it was rebuilt after 1626. In 1785, Emperor Joseph II abolished the monastery. It was completely demolished in 1959.
Only the Church of the Holy Trinity remains, built between 1668 and 1682 on the site of the original church, based on a design by Domenico Orsi. This unique structure in the region was decorated with early Baroque stuccoes by G. B. Cometa between 1674 and 1675.
Until recently, the church featured the unique Tree of Life, a woodcarving made from a single piece of wood, created by an unknown artist and completed in 1720. It is now located in Prague, in the Šternberk Palace.
The church’s main altar, made entirely of wood, features larger-than-life statues of Czech patron saints and a central painting of the Holy Family with the Holy Trinity. It is the second tallest wooden altar in Central Europe.
Below the altar are allegedly healing springs that merge into a stream which emerges near the church as a spring. Legends speak of the spring’s power to heal eye ailments.
The church is also unique for its spatial orientation – the sanctuary faces west due to the three springs that meet beneath the altar and flow out as a spring near the church. Nearby is a peat meadow.
Tours are provided by the Havlíček family – tours must be booked in advance at +420 602 703 007, www.novabystrice.cz
