Church of Saint Giles

The Church of Saint Giles (Kostel svatého Jiljí) stands at the eastern edge of Švihov, a village in western Bohemia, on raised ground above the Úhlava river roughly 9 km north of Klatovy. It is the oldest surviving building in the entire municipality, with roots reaching back to around 1220, when it was built as a Romanesque cemetery church tied to the earliest noble seat in Švihov, a site already documented in the 12th century.

How old is the church, and how has it changed over the centuries?

The original Romanesque structure from the 1220s was considerably simpler than what stands today. In the second half of the 13th century the building was enlarged with a rectangular nave on its southern side. A further major change came in the mid-14th century, when the original apse was replaced by a rectangular chancel fitted with pointed Gothic windows — a Gothic layer still visible in the church's massing. Later Baroque work, carried out between the 16th and 18th centuries, gave the building the exterior appearance it has today, even though the underlying Romanesque-Gothic wall structure remains intact beneath it.

What does it mean that this is a "tribune church"?

The Church of Saint Giles belongs to the group of so-called tribune churches — buildings with a raised gallery (tribune) inside the nave, a feature typical of early medieval churches attached to noble residences. The upper tribune was reserved for the owner of the nearby manor and his family, while the ground floor served the ordinary village population. This spatial division mirrored the social hierarchy of the period and confirms that the church was closely linked from the outset to the local stronghold from which the well-known Švihov castle later grew.

Is this the same building as Švihov Castle or the parish church?

No. The Church of Saint Giles is a separate cemetery building, distinct both from the famous moated Švihov Castle and from the parish Church of Saint John the Evangelist, which stands in another part of the village. The two churches — Saint Giles and Saint John the Evangelist — operate independently, and despite their proximity within the same village, they should not be confused with one another.

Where exactly is the church located?

The building sits on elevated ground at the eastern end of Švihov, overlooking the valley of the Úhlava river. This hilltop position, typical of the oldest fortified sacred buildings in the region, further underlines the church's historical link to the former noble stronghold from which a well-known manor residence later developed.

Frequently asked questions

How old is the Church of Saint Giles? Its oldest parts date from around 1220, roughly 800 years ago, making it the oldest surviving building in Švihov.

Is it a parish church? No, it is a cemetery church (hřbitovní kostel), a separate building from the active parish Church of Saint John the Evangelist in the same village.

What architectural style does it show today? It combines Romanesque foundations and a 14th-century Gothic chancel with Baroque exterior work added between the 16th and 18th centuries.

How far is it to Klatovy? About 9 km south of Švihov.