Baroque Cemetery

The Baroque cemetery in Střílky stands as a unique masterpiece of Central European sepulchral architecture. Its distinction lies in its elevated terraced design, employing fortification principles to create a "theater of memory" (theatrum memoriae).

Established in the mid-18th century by Antonín Amandus of Petřvald, the site features high-quality sculptures by Gottfried Fritsch, a pupil of G. R. Donner. The complex is famous for its "torso" nature; the grand vision remained unfinished after the founder’s death, creating the evocative aura of an incomplete Baroque dream.

Its intricate iconographic program—featuring angels with the Arma Christi, personifications of virtues and vices, and memento mori motifs—served as a visual guide to "ars moriendi," the art of dying. More than a simple graveyard, it is a profound meditation on "vanitas," the transience of human life. Following rehabilitation by Professor Miloš Stehlík in the 1960s, the cemetery remains a vital testament to Baroque piety and artistic genius, its symbolism successfully bridging the gap of centuries.