Nové Město nad Metují, its history and monuments

           

The oldest documented settlement on the territory of Krčín is an old Slavonic settlement municipality of 7^th to 8^th centuries, which was located not far from the current church in fields in direction towards Luštinec. Krčín existed, probably including the stronghold of Budín, long time before foundation of Nové Město and it was an only and also  a well populated townlet between Náchod and Opočno. Foundation of the municipality of Krčín in place of older settlement probably occurred in 13^th century. First written documents however come from the period of John of Luxembourg. Settlement proceeded from the church along the Metuje River and continually went up to Strážnice.

 

Originally the Krčínsko Area belonged to the Manor of Náchod, later on it was an independent estate, ca from the beginning of 16^th century it became a part of the Manor of Nové Město. After 1849 Krčín became an independent municipality, later on with the statute of townlet, since 1949 a local part of Nové Město nad Metují.

 

 

           

The early Gothic Church of the Holy Spirit was erected by the end of 13^th century, probably under influence of the Cistercians in Svaté Pole. It is probably the oldest building monument in the area of Nové Město. In the year 1336 it was mentioned as the parish church.

 

 

The single-aisle church has a rectangular ground plant. The neighboring square presbytery is covered with the Gothic ribbed vault. The construction is strengthened by three stretchers. There original stretcher was also in the south-eastern side. The sacristy is in the northern side.

In the year 1815 the Lord of the Manor, Franz Josef Dietrichstein, had the church rebuilt. There were reconstructed walls, built a new truss, rattan ceiling, new plaster and mostly new windows and pews. Other building modifications were done in 1876. Truss and roof were replaced again and new choir was built. The front was rebuilt in the pseudo-Romanian style.

 

In 1567 the parsonage in Krčín was cancelled and the parish office was transferred to Nové Město nad Metují. The priest lived in Nové Město since 1523 and he almost did not dwell in the Krčín parsonage. The Church of the Holy Spirit became a filial church with limited services. For a long time it belonged to the Old Utraquists, later, till 1626/27 to the New Utraquists and then it was Catholic again.

 

In 1921 the Church was shortly used by the Czechoslovak Hussite Church, in the years 1921 to 1923 it was out of service, and then it was confirmed for the Roman-Catholic Church.

 

Above the church there is situated the watch bell tower of the 16^th century, there are hung two bells – St. George of the year 1558 and the Holy Spirit of the year 1605.

 

 

Nové Město nad Metují was founded on 10 August 1501 on the rocky promontory by Jan Černčický of Kácov.

 

This location however has been settled even long time before in the period of Silesian-Platěnice Culture, even the Lausitz Culture, i.e. 800 to 1000 B.C. as documented based on finding of the bronze clip, cremation grave and massive finding of ceramic documenting abundance of local inhabitance.

           

Originally there were sectionized 31 townlets in the period of Jan Černčický, however this number later on did not respond to number of built houses. Even during first five years there were 55 and later on even 59 houses. Speed of construction works is documented by reports on active sales and purchases of houses even during first years of their construction.

 

No church and town hall were accounted for at first. Černčický let at will of his subjects, how big houses they build and how they equip them. Houses were even in front of the castle, therefore access to it was narrow and the castle was visible only partially from the square. The square was not empty before the fire. Except for meat shops in the south-eastern corner, where also a wooden school was located, there were also other constructions.

 

On 21 June, 1526 the town was destroyed by fire. Some incendiary ruins remained empty even for several years, however construction started immediately. At the beginning these were only provisional arrangements, so that agricultural work and handicraft may be continued. Jan Černčický provided wood for free, however he had not money for general reconstruction of the town. In 1527 he sold his manor to the Pernštejns.

 

 

Vojtěch of Pernštejn considered well how the renewed town should look. In the year 1528 he started to purchase some of incendiary ruins, mainly in front of the mansion. No houses were renewed in these places yet, since the owner wanted that wider space highlights the silhouette of the chateau. The new northern front had not more ten, but seven houses.

 

Basic construction of the town lasted five years. The lord’s builder erected before fronts of lots, with exception of already not built houses No.1244 and 1245, four continuous, uniformly solved front walls. In the overall construction there were built four walls and there were arcades added to them.

 

Above the attic there was erected continuous row of connected gables, which consisted of middle, semicircularly concluded higher parts. These had at sides two lower parts, concluded by the quarter circle, so called swallow tails. This is how the town obtained appearance of north-Italian, Venetian Renaissance.

 

As by some spell divine all the construction chaos disappeared and the place became the palace courtyard for the chateau, in which the Pernštejns rebuilt the castle of Černčický. Both the dominants of the town, the church and the chateau, were stressed even more.

 

 

The spectacular front was already erected and the building activity still continued behind it. The bourgeois connected their houses to the front wall. They had to pay for this part of the house to the Pernštejns for fifteen years.

 

Italian builders tried to connect Renaissance with late Gothic and, which was positive, they were open to local traditions. Arcades are Renaissance also due to their proportions, low cylindrical pillars enlarge downwards, where they are even strengthened with trunks. Arch spans are considerable. This is why arcades obtained luminosity and availability.

 

Fight of Gothic with Renaissance can be also seen on the house portals. Vaulting is exceptional. Profiling of terracotta window linings attracts deserved attention. You can find similar one also in Pardubice. This unification and typification shows, that it was built based on prefabricates.

 

At two houses there are inscriptions in linings of entrances. In No. 1221 in the east side you can find the year 1531. The entire inscription is: “1531 Jakub, income” (the next word is illegible) “of Bohdaneč, Markyta of Česká Třebová” and oak leaves in the heraldry. The illegible word is probably erroneously interpreted as a “scribe”. In the southern front at No. 1231 you can find the inscription “Sir Waczlaw 1534”. These are dates of termination of the house renovation.

 

Nowadays the most beautiful is the northern side of the square, where facades and gables were put returned in the original condition. Their unification is partially disturbed by the house No. 1209, the town hall with the tower, since it was built as the two-storey building. On the western side four houses were not renovated and therefore nowadays the last house has No. 1245, the hotel Brouček. There was not money for the parsonage and the school. The suzerains strengthened defense of the chateau and of the town by the gun bastion in 1532.

 

The elementary ground plan was kept at renovation of the town. Between ramparts and farm buildings there was established, together with courtyards, also wider space, which as the backhouse space makes circle round the whole square.

 

After the Pernštejns’ construction there were altogether 39 houses in the square. This construction was however so magnificent that the town did not change considerably in after it in the ramparts.