Chapel of Virgin Mary

The Chapel of the Virgin Mary is a small masonry chapel in Hrubšice, a village that is now part of the town of Ivančice in the Brno-venkov district of the South Moravian Region. Built in 1822 and dedicated to the Virgin Mary, it has served as a modest but enduring landmark of the village for two centuries and is now listed as a cultural heritage monument of the Czech Republic under reference number 16894/7-714.

What does the chapel look like?

The building has a simple rectangular body closed off by an apse, with a small bell tower added to the front, topped by a tent-shaped roof. Above the entrance sits a glazed niche holding a statue of Saint Florian, patron saint of firefighters and protection from fire — a fitting choice for a wooden-and-masonry village where fire was a constant practical concern. Two faces of the bell tower still carry sundials dated 1832, the year the tower itself was added to the decade-older chapel. In front of the entrance stands a thanksgiving cross donated in 1869 by the Kocáb family, a typical Czech village gesture of gratitude, often erected after a community was spared from disaster such as crop failure, epidemic, or fire.

What is the history behind it?

The chapel was built in 1822 to give the residents of Hrubšice a place of worship at a time when small villages in the Brno region rarely had their own parish church and relied instead on filial chapels. Ten years later, in 1832, the bell tower with its sundials and bell was added, giving the building the form it still has today. The original bell fell victim to the metal requisitions of the First World War, a common practice by which Austro-Hungarian authorities melted down church bells for military use. A replacement bell was hung after the war and remains in service. The chapel is administered by the Roman Catholic parish of Řeznovice, part of the Diocese of Brno.

Where exactly is the chapel located?

Hrubšice is one of several villages administratively absorbed into the town of Ivančice, alongside Alexovice, Letkovice, Němčice, and Řeznovice. The whole cluster lies within the Brno-venkov district of the South Moravian Region, a short distance from Brno itself. The chapel stands within the village, away from the main tourist route through central Ivančice, which is centered on the town square and the Gothic Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary — making this chapel more of a destination for those interested in local sacred architecture than for typical sightseeing crowds.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the chapel dedicated to? The Virgin Mary — hence its name, which is shared by other sacred sites in the area (such as the separate Starohorská pilgrimage chapel of the Virgin Mary near Ivančice), so the two should not be confused.

How old is the building? The chapel itself dates to 1822, while its distinctive bell tower with sundials and bell was added a decade later, in 1832.

What are the highlights to look for on site? The statue of Saint Florian in the niche above the entrance, the two sundials from 1832 on the bell tower, and the stone thanksgiving cross from 1869 standing in front of the entrance.

Who maintains the chapel today? It falls under the Roman Catholic parish of Řeznovice within the Diocese of Brno, and as a registered monument it also receives state heritage protection.