Romanesque-Gothic Portal Porta coeli - Předklášteří

In the village of Předklášteří by Tišnov, Czech Republic, there is a female monastery Porta coeli (Gate of Heaven) from the 13th century. It was completed around the mid-13th century and at that time it was fortified by a wall with a moat. The walls were reinforced by towers. The entrance to the monastery church is provided by the famous, richly decorated portal. It is located on the western facade of the Romanesque-Gothic Basilica of the Assumption. The concession portal is of French type in the style of Burgundy-Cistercian Gothic. There are 12 large figures on the portal jambs. The portal gate has five pillars on both sides, which are decorated with plant ornaments at the bottom. At the top of the pillars there are the statues of the apostles. Smaller pillars are inserted between the pillars of the apostles. The narrow portal ledge, covered with leaf ornament, is continuous and non-graduated. At the top of the portal there is a tympanum located above the door, which is framed by an arch of ten archivolts, slightly cranked in their centers. The main motif of the tympanum is Christ and other characters. Archivolts with stylized leaf decorations are rhythmically interlaced with archivolts with tall plant buds. At the bottom of some pillars and archivolts, there are small dragons. According to recent surveys, the portal has been inserted into the entrance of the building secondarily. The portal has never been completed in its intended form. During its existence, it has been damaged several times, restored several times and is thus a composition of the original and a number of accessories from various historical periods and materials.



The community of Cistercian sisters still lives in the monastery grounds, and it is also the site of the Podhorácké Museum.

Location: Tišnov by Brno, Czech Republic

## Keywords
romanesque gothic architecture history portal porta coeli tišnov