Church of Saint John of Nepomuk

The Church of Saint John of Nepomuk stands on a hill just above the village of Skrýšov, a spot that drew pilgrims for generations thanks to a spring once believed to bring miraculous healing. The building itself is a small but architecturally distinctive Baroque church dating from the second half of the 18th century, and it still serves as a focal point for devotion to the saint.

How did the church come to be built here?

The story begins in 1705, when Adam Ignác Mladota of Solopysky, dean of the St. Vitus chapter in Prague, funded a pilgrimage chapel dedicated to the Fourteen Holy Helpers on this hilltop. Masses were held there regularly, drawing especially large crowds on the feast day of St. John of Nepomuk. As pilgrim numbers kept growing through the 18th century, the modest chapel could no longer cope, so Norbert Kfelíř of Zakšov, then owner of the local estate, commissioned a full-sized church on the same site. Construction ran from 1760 to 1764, and the finished building was consecrated on 16 May 1764 by the dean of Krumlov, Jan František Kfelíř — the founder's younger brother.

What is there to see inside?

The church's most valuable feature is a set of relics of St. John of Nepomuk, personally obtained by Baron Kfelíř and housed in a silver, gilded reliquary that remains the spiritual centerpiece for visiting pilgrims. The building itself is worth studying from the outside too: its floor plan follows an unusual shape said to resemble a burning heart, a layout rarely seen in the region's church architecture. Equally notable is the mansard roof, which local sources describe as having no equivalent elsewhere in Central Bohemia.

Where exactly is the church located?

The church sits on a rise above Skrýšov, close to the village of Svatý Jan in the Příbram district, not far from the town of Sedlčany. The easiest way to reach it is by car or along the local road leading uphill from the village, with the final stretch covered on foot. The setting is quiet and rural, well off the main tourist routes, which only reinforces the site's original character as a place of pilgrimage and contemplation.

When is the best time to visit?

The church sees the most activity around 16 May, the liturgical feast day of St. John of Nepomuk, when believers from surrounding parishes traditionally gather here in a tradition tied to centuries of local pilgrimage fairs. Outside that date, spring and autumn are good times to visit, when the hill and the surrounding fields offer a calm, uncrowded view of the site.

Frequently asked questions

Who built the church in Skrýšov? The church was commissioned by Norbert Kfelíř of Zakšov and built between 1760 and 1764, on the site of an earlier chapel dating from 1705.

What can be found inside the church? Its main treasure is the relics of St. John of Nepomuk, kept in a silver, gilded reliquary donated by Baron Kfelíř.

Why does the church have such an unusual shape? It was designed on a floor plan said to resemble a burning heart — an uncommon choice in regional church architecture, matched by an equally unusual mansard roof.

What stood on this site before the church was built? From 1705, a chapel dedicated to the Fourteen Holy Helpers stood here, funded by Adam Ignác Mladota of Solopysky, until it became too small for the growing number of pilgrims.