The Column of the Holy Trinity, one of the few Baroque monuments in the city, is better known as the Plague Column. It was erected as an expression of gratitude for the fact that the plague epidemic bypassed Teplice in 1713.
The monument was designed by the renowned sculptor and woodcarver Matthias Bernard Braun, who was strongly influenced by Italian art. The Column of the Holy Trinity is his tallest work ever. When you stand directly beneath it, it does not even fit into the camera frame – much like the Eiffel Tower.
Worth mentioning is also the remarkably detailed contract signed by Count Franz Karl Clary-Aldringen and Matthias Braun. It specified not only the height of the column at 32 cubits, the number of steps, full angel figures or even just their heads, but also the source of the stone – namely the quarry in Nelahozeves, which at that time was not allowed to be used for any other project. The contract even stipulated the number of wagons required to transport the craftsmen. If we were to prepare a single construction project with such precision today, we would probably be building a motorway for two hundred years.
