Location
Two main dominants define the skyline of the Český Krumlov town. The castle tower symbolizes the secular ruling power and the region of its influence; the church tower of St. Vitus then personifies the might of the holy Christendom which from medieval times functioned both as a counterpart and complement of the wordly powers. The church shares with the castle the promontory created by the river Vltava, thus creating an impressive architectural feature that characterizes the town.
Description of the Building
The St. Vitus Church is built in the form of three parallel arcades merged with a five-sided elongated presbyterium, there are rectangular multistoried sacristies on both sides with the Chapels of Resurrection and the St. John of Nepomuk Chapel, and the antechamber situated on the northern side. The occidental facade of the church incorporates a tower with quadrangular Roman window openings on the landing level changing to eight-sided openings higher up. The uppermost part of the spire is pseudogothic in style, dating to 1893-1894 A.D.
History of the Construction
The Parish of Český Krumlov was likely established by Peter I von Rosenbergshortly before 1317 A.D., while the first written evidence dates back to 1329. Originally built as a small church, it lacked the capacity to serve the needs of the growing population of the capital residential town of the Rosenbergs. Therefore, on a spur of the same Peter von Rosenberg, a building of larger proportion was begun.