Chapel of Saint Barbara in Duchcov

The Chapel of Saint Barbara in Duchcov is a small Baroque sacred building standing east of Duchcov Castle, on the grounds of a former cemetery beside the Barbora pond. Overshadowed by the nearby castle and its Casanova connection, the chapel is easy to miss — yet it remains one of the region's best-preserved Baroque funerary buildings in the Ústí nad Labem area.

When was the chapel built, and who built it?

The current Baroque chapel dates from 1723, raised on the site of an earlier Gothic chapel that had previously stood in the same spot. The construction was carried out by Octavio Broggi, a builder from Litoměřice — one of many Italian-trained architects and masons who shaped the Baroque landscape of northern Bohemia in the 17th and 18th centuries. The chapel was built within what was then known as the Old Cemetery, which at the time surrounded it on all sides.

What does the chapel look like inside and out?

The building follows a central plan topped with a dome and lantern, with a small tower attached on the western side. This combination — a centrally planned body with a dome and an asymmetrically placed tower — was a common solution for Baroque cemetery chapels, balancing a dignified appearance with the practical role of a burial site.

Inside stands a statue of Saint Barbara dating from the mid-18th century, along with a painting of the Last Supper that was moved here from Duchcov's former Church of Saint George, which no longer exists. The grounds around the chapel still hold gravestones from the first half of the 18th century, decorated with vanitas motifs typical of the period — symbols reminding visitors of the transience of life.

What is the chapel's connection to Casanova?

A memorial plaque to Giacomo Casanova is mounted beside the chapel's entrance. The famous Venetian spent his final years as librarian at Duchcov Castle, where he died in 1798; his remains rest in the castle park. Because the chapel stands so close to the castle, the two sites are often visited together as part of the same walk through the last chapter of the memoirist's life.

What else is worth seeing near the chapel?

Behind the chapel stands a statue of Saint John of Nepomuk, another remnant of the former cemetery complex and a common feature of folk Catholic devotion in the region. The chapel's setting by the Barbora pond makes it a quiet spot for a walk, clearly separated from the bustle of central Duchcov yet still within easy walking distance of the castle.

The chapel has been listed as a protected cultural monument since 1964, a status that safeguards both the building itself and the historic gravestones surrounding it.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the Chapel of Saint Barbara located? It stands east of Duchcov Castle, beside the Barbora pond, on the grounds of the former Old Cemetery.

Who designed the chapel? The Baroque building from 1723 was constructed by Octavio Broggi, a builder from Litoměřice.

Can the chapel be visited together with Duchcov Castle? Yes, the two sites lie close together and form part of the same route linked to Giacomo Casanova, who died at the castle in 1798.

What can be seen inside the chapel? A mid-18th-century statue of Saint Barbara and a painting of the Last Supper moved from the now-vanished Church of Saint George.

Have the old gravestones survived around the chapel? Yes, gravestones from the first half of the 18th century, decorated with symbols of transience, still remain on the grounds.