Church of the Assumption of Virgin Mary in Tismice

The Church of the Assumption of Virgin Mary in Tismice was built in late 12^th century. It is a smaller (the length is only 13.72 metres) three-nave basilica with two towers at the front and ending in semi-circular apses. The church was built of large sandstone blocks, decorated on the outside with typical Romanesque ornaments: lesenes and arched friezes. The arcades in the interior separating the main from side naves are alternately supported by mighty pillars and round columns. This design, used primarily in Rheinland, is rather unique in the Czech lands. Reasons for building such a small yet representative edifice in a practically unknown and not very important property in Tismice have not yet been adequately explained. In the Czech cultural environment, churches of the basilica type were almost exclusively episcopal, capitular or monastic, therefore the founder of the basilica in Tismice most likely belonged to the highest social classes.

Although the church has, for the most part, preserved its authentic Romanesque form, it did not escape later architectural interventions. In late 15^th century the southern wall of the church collapsed, but it was repaired – very carefully for its time – by the local family Vrbík, using the original stones. The Vrbík family only added a representative, late Gothic portal, with a finely crafted family coat of arms. A more extensive changes to the church’s appearance occurred during the Baroque reconstruction in 1767–1775. The original flat ceiling of the main nave was replaced by a barrel vault and the gallery in the eastern part was converted into an organ loft with a spiral staircase. The entire space was illuminated by the new semi-circular windows. On the eastern side of the church the baroque portal was added and the towers at the front were fitted with new, Baroque roofs. The frescos and most of the preserved furnishings also date from Baroque.