Chapel of Virgin Mary - Loreta

Chapel of Virgin Mary – Loreta is a Baroque Loreto chapel built in 1694 on a forested basalt hill (415 m) that forms part of the Veliš ridge in northeastern Bohemia, Czech Republic. It formally lies within the cadastral area of the village of Hlásná Lhota, in the Jičín District, though the neighboring village of Křelina is actually closer.

Who founded the chapel?

The chapel was commissioned by Count František Josef Šlik (Schlick), a member of a powerful Bohemian noble family. Its design is attributed to architect Jean-Baptiste Mathey, who deliberately kept the exterior ornamentation restrained, favoring instead a dramatic hilltop placement that opens onto a wide panorama over the surrounding lands of northeastern Bohemia.

What is a Loreto chapel?

Loreto chapels are Baroque pilgrimage structures modeled on the Holy House (Santa Casa) of Loreto in Italy, venerated by tradition as the home of the Virgin Mary, said to have been miraculously transported from Nazareth. Such chapels were built across the Czech lands during the Counter-Reformation — historians count roughly fifty of them. The Loreta near Hlásná Lhota is one such foundation, tied to the Šlik family's ancestral estate.

What role did it play in the Šlik family's landscape design?

Research into the so-called Marian Garden (Mariánská zahrada) landscape concept identifies the chapel as a crossing point of several landscape axes and likely the central node of the Šlik family's Baroque compositional scheme in the region. Its roof was fitted with an observation terrace from which visitors could take in both halves of the Šlik domain around Jičín, separated by the Veliš ridge — turning the chapel into both a devotional site and a vantage point over the family's holdings.

What happens at the chapel today?

The building is protected as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic. Masses are held seasonally, from May to October, on the first Saturday of each month. The association of municipalities called Mariánská zahrada also organizes an annual procession to the chapel, keeping the local pilgrimage tradition alive.

How do you get there?

The chapel stands on a wooded hilltop in the municipality of Podhradí, Jičín District, near the villages of Křelina and Hlásná Lhota. Because of its elevated, forested setting, the final stretch of the approach is on foot; the hill is one of the recognizable landscape features of the Veliš ridge, visible from the surrounding roads.

Frequently Asked Questions

When was the Loreta chapel in Hlásná Lhota built? It was built in 1694, commissioned by Count František Josef Šlik.

Who designed it? The design is attributed to architect Jean-Baptiste Mathey.

Is it a protected monument? Yes, it is listed as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic.

Can visitors attend a service there? Masses take place from May to October, on the first Saturday of each month, and an annual procession is held there.