Chapel of Saint Procopius

The Chapel of Saint Procopius in the village of Pikárec, on the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands, is a modest building that nonetheless functions as the village's most important landmark. It stands in the upper part of the village green, where it has anchored local life for a century, even though it never appears in guidebooks devoted to the region's grand monuments.

When was the chapel built?

The chapel standing today dates from 1923, raised on the foundations of an earlier chapel from 1776 that had previously occupied the same spot. Replacing an 18th-century structure with a sturdier one in the early 20th century was a common pattern across villages of the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands, where simpler older buildings were gradually rebuilt in more durable form. The 1923 date therefore does not mark the first place of worship in Pikárec, but rather its reconstruction into the form visitors see now.

What does the chapel look like?

It is a small, single-nave sacred building with a distinctive bell turret and a tall, pyramidal (tent-shaped) roof. This plain form, free of elaborate ornament, is typical of rural chapels built to serve a local community rather than as showpiece foundations of a church or noble family. The chapel occupies a prominent spot in the upper part of the village green, making it visible from most of the village and giving it a natural role as Pikárec's visual centre.

What else is worth seeing nearby?

Right next to the local community hall stands a cast-iron cross from 1856, donated by the Zeman couple. Wayside and village crosses like this one are a common feature of Czech rural life, usually erected as a votive gift or an expression of thanks, and their donors are often known by name, as is the case here. Close to the chapel there is also a memorial to villagers who died in the wars — a typical presence on village greens across the country, commemorating local victims of 20th-century conflicts.

Where does the name Pikárec come from, and what is the village's history?

The oldest surviving mentions of the settlement date back to 1192. The village was founded by settlers known as the Pikharti — a name local tradition translates as "Czech brethren" — from which the village's own name derives. The first inhabitants cleared the surrounding forests, using the timber to build their homes, a typical pattern of medieval settlement across the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands. Today Pikárec lies about 16 km from Velké Meziříčí, in the direction of Nové Město na Moravě, at an elevation of 543 metres above sea level, and is home to fewer than 340 people across 846 hectares. In 2005 the village received the "Vysočina Village" award for its care of greenery and the natural environment — a sign that, despite its small size, the community actively looks after its shared spaces, of which the Chapel of Saint Procopius remains the clearest symbol.

Frequently asked questions

When was the current chapel built? In 1923, on the foundations of an earlier chapel from 1776.

What does the chapel's architecture look like? It is a small, simple building with a bell turret and a tall, pyramidal roof, without elaborate decoration.

What else can be seen near the chapel? A cast-iron cross from 1856, donated by the Zeman couple, and a memorial to villagers who died in the wars.

Where does the name Pikárec come from? From settlers called the Pikharti ("Czech brethren"), who founded the village around 1192.