Church of Saint John the Baptist

The Church of Saint John the Baptist stands on a rise above the Jizera River valley in Nudvojovice, a district of Turnov in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. It ranks among the oldest religious buildings in the area: an Early Gothic structure raised around 1250 by Cistercian monks from the Mnichovo Hradiště monastery, originally built as the parish church of the village of Nudvojovice.

What does the church look like?

The building is compact and austere — a single-nave church built of rubble masonry, with a narrower rectangular presbytery closed at the east end. Four slender pointed-arch windows, typical of Early Gothic design, light the presbytery, which is covered by a cross vault. The main nave, by contrast, has a barrel vault topped with a painted coffered ceiling: a Baroque decoration originally added in 1726 and recreated as a faithful replica during the restoration completed in 2006. The painted panels show acanthus scrollwork and stylized flowers.

Two portals of different origin lead into the church. The south portal retains an early Renaissance form with a rounded, profiled arch, while the west portal dates from the pseudo-Romanesque renovation of 1894, along with most of the church's current furnishings, designed at that time by K. Bušek. Among the older surviving elements, a late Gothic altar predella painted with an "Ecce Homo" scene from the early 16th century stands out, alongside a Renaissance-era epitaph of Jiří Reinolt of Štířín dated 1590.

What is the church's history?

The church served as a parish church until 1551, when it became a filial church subordinate to Turnov — a status it still holds today. It was rebuilt after the destruction of the Thirty Years' War, and further furnishings were added over the following decades, including the 1726 ceiling.

The 19th century was unkind to the building: ongoing deterioration forced its closure in 1881. A thorough restoration completed in 1894 removed the Baroque ceiling and gave the interior the pseudo-Romanesque character still visible in parts today. After 1945 the structure again fell into disrepair, and a comprehensive reconstruction had to wait until the turn of the millennium; the work concluded with a blessing ceremony in 2006.

Since 1964, the Church of Saint John the Baptist has been listed as a protected cultural monument. It falls administratively under the Turnov deanery of the Diocese of Litoměřice.

What else is there to see around the church?

A cemetery wall encircles the building, which also functions as a cemetery church. The surrounding grounds are shaded by old linden and ash trees of striking size, forming a notable feature of the site in their own right for anyone walking through Nudvojovice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where exactly is the Church of Saint John the Baptist located? In the Nudvojovice district of Turnov, in the Liberec Region, on a rise above the Jizera River valley.

When was the church built? Around 1250, founded by Cistercian monks from the Mnichovo Hradiště monastery.

Is the church still in use? Yes, it functions as a Roman Catholic filial (cemetery) church belonging to the Turnov parish.

What stands out most inside? The painted, Baroque-style coffered ceiling from 1726 (rebuilt as a replica in 2006), the Early Gothic presbytery with its cross vault, and historic furnishings such as the late Gothic "Ecce Homo" predella and the 1590 Renaissance epitaph.

Is the church legally protected? Yes, it has been registered as a protected cultural monument since 1964.