Church of Saint Giles

The Church of Saint Giles in Dolní Bory is a small Gothic church standing at the heart of the village of Dolní Bory, part of the Bory municipality in the Jihlava Highlands. It serves as a subsidiary church of the local Roman Catholic parish and has long stood as the spiritual and architectural anchor of the surrounding countryside.

How old is the church?

The church dates back to the 14th century, with written records confirming it as a parish church from 1381 onward. Its oldest surviving section is the presbytery, built in Gothic style and still vaulted today despite later alterations. The nave, by contrast, received a flat ceiling at some point in its history, a change tied to a broader historicizing reconstruction that gave much of the building its present appearance while leaving the medieval core intact.

How did its parish affiliation change over time?

The building's history mirrors the religious upheavals of the region. Between 1590 and 1594 the church was administered by a Protestant priest named Johan, a clear sign of how far the Reformation reached into this part of the Highlands. In 1609 the church was placed under the Roman Catholic parish of Radostín, and in 1784 it was reassigned to the parish of Horní Bory — an affiliation that continues today, with the church functioning as a subsidiary place of worship.

What does the interior hold?

The main altar dates from 1796 and was created by Ondřej Schweigl, a respected Brno sculptor and painter working in the Baroque-Classicist style. Much of the earlier furnishing did not survive, however: a fire in 1863 destroyed the 1794 altar painting of Saint Giles along with the organ and bells. That loss explains why the interior today blends pieces from different eras — parts of the furnishings had to be replaced after the disaster.

Why is the church legally protected?

The building is listed as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic, which obliges any restoration work to preserve its historical fabric. A cemetery surrounds the church, a common arrangement for rural churches in this region, underlining its long-standing role as the religious and communal center of the village.

How do you get there, and what else is nearby?

The church sits right at the center of Dolní Bory, within the Bory municipality near Velké Meziříčí in the Jihlava Highlands. It makes for a worthwhile stop for visitors interested in smaller sacred monuments away from the crowds of larger towns. The rural setting and adjoining cemetery give the site a quiet, contemplative atmosphere well suited to unhurried sightseeing.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the church named after? The church is dedicated to Saint Giles (Czech: svatý Jiljí), which gives it its Czech name, Kostel svatého Jiljí.

Is the church still in use? Yes, it operates as a subsidiary church of the Horní Bory parish and continues to be used for liturgical purposes.

What happened to the church's original furnishings? Much of the earlier interior, including the 1794 altar painting, the organ, and the bells, was destroyed in a fire in 1863.

Who made the current main altar? The 1796 altar is the work of Ondřej Schweigl, a Brno sculptor and painter of the Baroque-Classicist period.