The Co-Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary

The Co-Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is a gothic monument in the heart of Opava. Construction of the church—at the time still in the Romanesque style period—began in 1204.

The church’s current appearance was ordered in the 14^th century by representatives of the Teutonic Order, precisely in the spirit of Silesian architecture of the period. The church has elements of the Gothic style period and is built out of bare bricks.

Among the church’s interesting features is one of its two towers, which was supplemented by baroque addition to build upon the original gothic foundation, thus creating a sharp contrast with the neighbouring original tower that contains crenellations and a gallery. Thanks to this baroque addition, the tower is now an impressive 102 metres tall, making it the tallest church tower in Silesia.

Today, the church is one of the most valuable monuments in the city—a protected cultural monument—as well as the co-cathedral of the Ostravsko-Opavsko Diocese. The term “co-cathedral” denotes the fact the the bishopric is headquartered in two different churches.