White Mountain
Pilgrimage site of our Lady Victorious
The victory of the 1620 Battle of White Mountain was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and the order of the emperor Ferdinand stated that it should be celebrated by construction of a pilgrimage site. It was only after many years in 1712 when the original chapel was changed into a small church and the intention to complement it with other pilgrimage chapels and cloisters was approved. However, the votive chapel virtually disappeared after the construction of the perimeter wall. It was therefore necessary to build a dome above the centre, which would become the new landmark in the region. It was Jan Blazej Santini, a member of the Marian Brotherhood, who was awarded the project for reconstruction of the area. The project also included completion of the cloisters and the dome. He proved his ability once again to deal with a given space and combine seemingly disparate elements into one compact yet highly harmonious unit.
