Church of Saint James in Stodůlky

The Church of St. James the Greater in Stodůlky sits on a low hill at the heart of what was once an independent village, now part of Prague's Praha 13 district. The neo-Gothic building on Kovářova street is the oldest landmark in the area — and while the structure visitors see today is a little over a century old, the site itself has been a place of worship since the Middle Ages.

How far back does this church's story go?

The earliest written record of a church in Stodůlky dates to 1292, making it one of the oldest documented places of worship near medieval Prague. Just six years later, in 1298, the Prague bishop Řehoř Zajíc of Valdek — acting on instructions from Pope Boniface VIII — appointed the first known parish priest here, a man named Jan Heřman. The original building combined a Romanesque nave with a Gothic chancel and is believed to date from the 13th century. For centuries it also served as a cemetery church, with graves surrounding it until the burial ground was moved outside the village in 1835.

Why was the old church torn down?

By the close of the 19th century, the Stodůlky parish had grown well beyond what its medieval church could accommodate. In 1901 the old building was demolished, and construction of a new church began on the very same spot that year, designed by architect M. Krch in a pseudo-Gothic (neo-Gothic) style. Work finished in 1903, and the new church was consecrated on 11 October of that year — the same building that stands in Stodůlky today.

What survived from the medieval church?

Despite the demolition, one of the old church's most valuable pieces was rescued and built into the new interior: a stone Gothic tabernacle, which remains the oldest surviving element of the whole site and a direct physical link to its medieval past. The rest of the furnishings — including an altar produced in the workshop of Petr Bušek and sons — were created at the start of the 20th century alongside the new building, giving the interior a stylistically unified, neo-Gothic character.

Frequently asked questions

How old is the church in Stodůlky? The current building dates from 1901–1903, but worship on this site can be traced back to at least 1292 — more than seven centuries of continuous history.

Who is the church named after? It is dedicated to St. James the Greater, one of the twelve apostles, whose name it still carries.

Did anything survive from the original medieval church? Yes — a stone Gothic tabernacle from the Romanesque-Gothic building demolished in 1901 was preserved and incorporated into the current church's interior.

Who designed the present-day church? The building was designed by architect M. Krch and built in a pseudo-Gothic style between 1901 and 1903.

Was there a cemetery around the church? Yes, the church originally served as a cemetery church, with a graveyard surrounding it until it was relocated outside the village in 1835.

Where exactly is the church located? It stands on a small hill in the historic center of Stodůlky, on Kovářova street, in Prague's Praha 13 district.