Rotunda of Saint George (Jiri) in Rip (Czech Republic)

The first written mention of the local rotunda dates back to 1126, when Prince Soběslav I repaired the existing church and introduced the western round tower to commemorate the victory in the Battle of Chlumek. This fact indicates, that the rotunda was built earlier, perhaps around 1039, when the remains of Saint Adalbert, to whom the chapel in Rip was dedicated, were brought to Prague. In 1138 the church was purchased by the Strahov Monastery. In 1577 it became part of the Roudnice nad Labem estate. Only from the 16th century is it known about the dedication of St. George (Jiri), patron of Přemyslovci. After the "Thirty Years" War, the place was occupied by Lobkovičii. The church became a popular place of pilgrimage in the 17th and 18th centuries. The current form of the rotunda is the result of a loose reconstruction, that took place between 1869 and 1881. During it a new entrance was made through the southern portal (previously the rotunda was accessed through the now bricked-up entrance on the west side), large windows were installed in the nave and the building was plastered with smooth plaster on the outside. During the First Czechoslovak Republic, the rotunda was almost destroyed. In the 1950s, following a request to Romanize the facade, further construction changes were made. The main building was completely walled off from the first floor, which also destroyed the oldest surviving Romanesque masonry on the second floor of the tower. This is how the rotunda acquired a "romantic" appearance with an unplastered facade. The southern portal, introduced during the previous reconstruction, was demolished and replaced with a new Neo-romantic style, the window openings in the nave were reduced and an imitation of the romantic style was installed. Although the historic pavement was repeatedly found to be in good condition during the works, with only a few cracked tiles, needing to be replaced, it was eventually replaced with a sandstone pavement. Due to the deteriorating condition of the historical masonry of the first floor of the facade, which was negatively affected by weather conditions, the facade was plastered around in 2009. However, due to improperly used technology, the plaster quickly crumbles.

A small, simple, well-designed and richly detailed model, perfect for a beginner modeler, working under the supervision of a more experienced colleague.