The family vault of the Swarzenbergs
Jan Adolf II Swarzenberg and his wife Eleonora are mostly remembered as the initiators of the Neo-Gothic reconstruction of Hluboká castle. It was the same Dutchess Eleonora's idea to build a vault for placing the relics of the members of the Swarzenberg family in Třeboň. From 1784, members of the main branch of the Swarzenberg family were buried in the nearby Church of St. Jiljí, first mentioned in 1515. However, during the last half of the nineteenth century, it was evident that the Church was no longer big enough. In addition, it did not comply with strict hygiene rules, which stated that the vault should be self-ventilated and that corpses had to be embalmed before they were lain in their coffins.
The original project for the new vault, which is to be found in the park on the south-east side of the Svět pond, was organised by Johann Schmidt, also the author of the projects for the Vienna and Liberec Town Halls. However, he was not sufficiently acquainted with all the potential problems, so the project was later rejected. It was the Duke's architect, Ferdinand D. Deworetzký, the co-partner in the reconstruction of Hluboká castle, who was again in charge. He designed the two-storey building in the romantic English Gothic style, with a monumental stair ramp, and succesfully set it in the surroundings of the park area. The ground plan was designed according to the Italian 'Campa Santa' model. The construction began on 14 July 1874, under the supervision of Devoretzký, and craftsmen from all over South Bohemia helped to build the vault, which was finished in two and half years at a cost of 251 000 guilders. On 29 July 1877, the vault was consecrated by the Duke's brother, the Archbishop of Prague, Bedřich Schwarzenberg.
The main altar, consecrated to Christ the Redeemer, dominates the modest chapel. The altar was created by the sculptor Josef Pokorný of white sandstone, plaster, and Istrian marble. 'Shell' limestone, imported from the Český ráj and from Austrian quarries, was used for the jambs of the windows. In the actual vault, situated below the chapel, there is a precious marble sarcophagus by Alexander Trippel, made in 1789, which was imported from Vienna. On it, there is a curiosity worth noticing, a little marble chain made of 83 links, which gives the impression of having just been loosely placed. The vault itself has its own entrance, opaque windows, and a self-ventilation system to comply with the rules. It stretches both under the surrounding gardens and below the level of the Svět pond. An air channel 0.6 meters wide and 2 meters deep had to be built to surround the building so that no water could infiltrate the foundations.
The family vault of the Swarzenbergs has been acclaimed as one of the finest built and architecturally best proportioned monuments in all of South Bohemia.
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