Author: Emilio Zanzi

On the Facade of the Church of St. Thomas in Brno

Studying the facade of the Church of St. Thomas in Brno facilitates an in-depth analysis of Baroque architectural idioms in Central Europe. By carrying out a comparative study, it is possible to detect and examine the common features and those derived from earlier Baroque churches. In doing so, one can understand Baroque architecture’s exceptional diffusion and stratification and the role of religious orders in this dissemination.

The Church of St. Thomas (Kostel svatého Tomáše) in Brno traces its origins to 1350 when it was established as part of an Augustinian monastery by Jan Jindřich Lucemburský, brother of Emperor Charles IV. Intended as a dynastic burial site, the church became the final resting place only for Jindřich and his son. The church was then consecrated in 1356 by the Bishop of Olomouc, Jan Očko z Vlašimi. Continue reading →

The Parnassus Fountain: Adoption and Adaptation of a Roman Model

A baroque fountain in the second most important square in the city of Brno has as its subject matter order. Order over chaos is the metaphorical meaning of the entangled sculptural group that monumentalizes the fountain. Adopting and adapting a Roman model, a mythologically built order is recreated from water, intended as the source of life. This is the Parnassus Fountain.

This monumental fountain, designed by the Austrian architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach (1656–1723) in 1690 and realised by the sculptors Tobias Kracker (1658–1736) and Antonín Riga (1660?–1728?) in the following years, it became one of Brno’s landmarks, located in the Zelný trh square. Continue reading →