Transformations of the Architecture and Furnishings of the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Poděbrady

The article summarises key findings from the architectural and historical investigation of the parish church in Poděbrady, focusing on establishing the date of its initial construction phase. It identi fies the church’s core as clearly late Gothic, while leaving open the possibility that the three ‑nave vault was finished later. Churches featuring pilasters are rare in Czech (late) Gothic architecture. The sacristy presents intriguing details that, combined with archival sources, allow for a reflection on its historical use. Conversely, the crypt beneath the presbytery can be viewed as an added feature. Only the organ ‑loft is connected to the mid‑16th ‑century renovation by G. B. Aostalli, who is also buried in the church. The church’s construction history is intricate and appears obscured by the Neo ‑Gothic reconstruction carried out in 1896–1897, along with the Gothic exterior that underwent several modifications starting in 1875. The furnishings have undergone significant changes. The western tower was built in 1818, following a wooden belfry on the northwestern side of the cemetery from 1663–1664. Both the tower’s construction and the wooden belfry are well documented in historical records.

Keywords: Gothic architecture – medieval sacral architecture – Late Gothic – historicism – Poděbrady – burying – sacristy – bell towers – church towers – historical construction process