Sázava Benedictines Monastery and St. Procopios Church (Sázava)

 church, museum, Gothic (architecture), monastery, interesting place, listed building / architectural heritage

A Benedictines Monastery founded in 1031 by Prince Bretislav I. and St. Prokop (Procopios) from Slavnikiden ancestry, a cousin of St. Vojtech (St. Adalbert), a Benedictines monk, later eremite in the forest cave over the Sazava river.
The fourth oldest monastery in Bohemia (973 Monastery of St. George in Prague Castle, 993 Benedictines Monastery in Prague-Brevnov, 999 Benedictines Monastery in Ostrov [Insula, Isle] in Davle). Sazava Monastery was a centre of Slovanian rite, widespreading to South and Eastern Europe - Serbia, Croatia, Kievan Rus and Hungary. Plenty of Slovanian liturgy manuspripts written in Glagolic and Cyrillic alphabet (e.g. Rheins Gospel-book) had their origin in this monastery. Original buildings of Romanesque basilica and abbey were later rebuilded in the Gothic style. They had been severe damaged during the Husitte´s Wars and later rebuilded in Barroco style. Building of the basilica´s main nave from red sandstone had been unfinished, without roof, just with the walls with gothic window arches, pillars and tower. Only the apse was completed and has been serving as the catholic parish church with a Romanesgue crypt in surroundings. Abbey was broke off and served as the aristocratic mansion.