"Velehrad" Top 5 Page for this destination Czech Republic Off The Beaten Path Tip by magor65

Velehrad is one of the most important places of pilgrimage in Moravia. It is strictly connected with the tradition of Ss Cyril and Methodius - the Slavonic apostles and patrons of Europe.
It was in Velehrad that the first Cistercian convent in Moravia was founded in the 13th century.
The present appearance of the convent dates from the 18th century, when it was reconstructed in the Baroque style, preserving though some Romanesque and Gothic elements. One of the most interesting elements of the interior is the marble altar - work of the famous Baldassare Fontana. After looking around for a couple of minutes, we set off to find the painting of Ss Cyril and Methodius by a Polish painter Jan Matejko. We find it easily in one of the side chapels. However, we fail to find other Polish elements in the church: the banner with Our Lady from Czestochowa and the picture of Ss Cyril and Methodius by Polish painter Vlastimil Hofman. They are in the chapels that were closed for renovation at the time of our visit.
The Velehrad church was given the title of a lesser papal basilica in 1927 by Pope Pius XI. In 1985 Pope John Paul II gave Velehrad a Golden Rose and five years later he visited the church personally.