The Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre is one of the few surviving remains of the former monastery of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre. The chapel was built between 1715 and 1721, adjacent to the now-demolished Church of Saints Peter and Paul. Both the Baroque chapel and the church were designed by the famous architect Jan Blažej Santini-Aichel.
The church was demolished in 1904 during the redevelopment of Prague, but its appearance has been preserved in period photographs and architectural plans. "Thanks to these, we know that it was a remarkable building, representing the peak of Santini’s work in terms of spatial design. Santini’s authorship is also clearly evident in the surviving chapel, which—though a faithful evocation of its Jerusalem model—features a dynamically composed apse that bears Santini’s unmistakable creative signature," explains Assoc. Prof. Richard Biegel from the Department of Art History, Faculty of Arts, Charles University. Assoc. Prof. Biegel also authored the explanatory texts featured on the FEE CTU website and the information panel dedicated to Santini’s work.
The chapel was first included in the European Heritage Days (EHD) program last year. "Unlike last year, visitors will now be able to admire the reconstruction of the original monastic church of Saints Peter and Paul, which no longer exists. A model, created as a student project at the Department of Computer Graphics and Interaction, demonstrates the church’s impressive scale and robustness," said Assoc. Prof. Jiří Vodrážka from the Department of Telecommunication Engineering at FEL CTU, who researches the history of the chapel and the lost complex. He will guide visitors through both the past and present of the site. Santini’s work can also be explored via a mobile augmented reality application and a website offering a virtual 3D tour. This presentation was prepared by Dr. David Sedláček from the Department of Computer Graphics and Interaction, who will also be present at the chapel during the European Heritage Days.
"This modest yet significant Baroque monument is gradually finding its dignified place within the campus of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering. The upcoming restoration project will not only address the long-standing problem of dampness but also create new opportunities for its use within the CTU campus," added Assoc. Prof. Vodrážka. The public can share their ideas for the future use of the chapel in a newly reopened survey.
The Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre is open to the public several times a year—not only during the European Heritage Days, but also as part of the regular Open House event organized by the Faculty of Electrical Engineering.
Photo: Tomáš Sysel
