Church of Saint Clemens

Church of Saint Clement stands on a raised site above the old part of Odolena Voda, a town in the Praha-východ district of the Central Bohemian Region. This Baroque church has become one of the town's landmarks, visible from both of its main squares and dominating the skyline of the surrounding older buildings.

Where is the Church of Saint Clement located?

The church stands in Odolena Voda, a small town in Central Bohemia just north of Prague. It occupies an elevated position above the town centre, a spot that has made it a natural landmark for residents and visitors for centuries.

How far back does the site's history go?

A church has stood on this spot for a very long time — the first written mention of a church in Odolena Voda dates back to 1352. A record from 1642 shows that the church standing here at the time was dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, not to Saint Clement as today's building is. This means the dedication of the church on this site changed over the centuries before settling on the one known today.

When was the current Baroque church built?

The present church was constructed between 1732 and 1735. It was designed by the architect Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer, a member of the renowned family of architects active in Baroque-era Bohemia. The solemn consecration of the newly built church took place in September 1740 — several years after construction finished, a gap that was typical for churches of this period, which needed time for their interiors to be fully fitted out and decorated.

Who created the interior decoration?

The wall and ceiling paintings were made between 1735 and 1737 by the Jesuit painter Jan Kuben. The sculptor Jan Hanika also contributed to the interior decoration. The involvement of artists connected to the Jesuit order fits a broader pattern in Baroque religious art in Bohemia at the time, when the order played a significant role in shaping the decorative and iconographic programme of churches.

What happened to the church in later centuries?

In 1864 lightning struck the church tower and started a fire that destroyed both the tower and the roof. The exterior of the church was repaired roughly half a century later, with the restoration funded by Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer, who at the time owned the Odolena Voda estate. His financial support paid for rebuilding the damaged parts of the structure, restoring the church's exterior appearance.

Why is the church worth seeing when visiting the town?

The Church of Saint Clement sits on a hill above the old part of Odolena Voda, which makes it visible from both of the town's main squares. This prominent position turns it into a natural reference point while walking through the town, and the Baroque silhouette of the building can be spotted from many places around it.

Frequently asked questions

What is the church in Odolena Voda called? It is the Church of Saint Clement (Czech: Kostel svatého Klimenta), a Roman Catholic parish church.

When was the current building constructed? It was built between 1732 and 1735, with the consecration held in September 1740.

Who designed the church? The architect was Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer.

Did an earlier church stand on this site? Yes — the first record of a church here dates to 1352, and a 1642 note shows it was then dedicated to Saint John the Baptist.

What happened to the church in the 19th century? In 1864 lightning caused a fire that destroyed the tower and roof; the exterior was later restored with funding from Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer, about half a century after the fire.