Rotunda of Saint Catherine
# Rotunda of Saint Catherine

The Rotunda of St. Catherine (Czech: Rotunda sv. Kateřiny), known as the Znojmo Rotunda (Znojemská rotunda), is a Romanesque rotunda located in Znojmo, Czech Republic. It is the town's most valuable monument, and features one of the oldest fresco compositions in the Czech lands. Besides the religious motives, of particular importance is the praising portrayal of the ruling Přemyslid dynasty.

The building was originally a castle chapel, dedicated to Virgin Mary, built in the mid-11th century. The painting was commissioned by Konrad II of Znojmo on the occasion of his wedding with Mary (Marija), daughter of Uroš I of Serbia in 1134. Apart from the donor couple, Konrad and Mary, the identity of the other depicted members of the dynasty is disputed among the historians. With two exceptions being the Přemysl the Ploughman, the legendary ancestor of the dynasty, and Vratislaus I, the first King of Bohemia.

