Church of Saint Lawrence

The Church of Saint Lawrence in Bílov is a Baroque stone church standing in a small village in Moravian-Silesia, a few kilometres from Fulnek. The current building was constructed between 1709 and 1733 on the site of an earlier wooden church, from which a bell dated 1495 has survived to this day — making it the oldest surviving element of the whole site. The tower was raised by one storey in 1733, and the church was further extended in 1771, giving it roughly its present form.

What is the history of the parish in Bílov?

The village of Bílov, together with the right of patronage over its church, is already documented in 1391, when it was given by Lacek of Kravaře to the Augustinian monastery in Fulnek. For centuries the church had no independent parish of its own and was administered from Fulnek, a common arrangement for smaller church sites in the region at the time. It was only in 1814 that an independent parish was established in Bílov, registered under number 100 in the administrative system of the period.

What should visitors know about the churchyard cemetery?

For a long time, a parish cemetery operated right next to the church, a typical feature of rural church sites in this part of Moravia. In 1915, land for a new cemetery was purchased, part of a broader, gradual shift away from burials directly beside village churches that took place across many similar parishes in the region during that era.

Why is this church worth a stop while touring Moravian-Silesia?

The Church of Saint Lawrence represents a modest but historically coherent piece of regional sacred architecture — a Baroque stone structure with a tower reshaped in the 18th century, paired with a bell that predates the current building itself by nearly two and a half centuries. That bell, inherited from the earlier wooden church, is what makes Bílov a genuinely interesting stop for anyone curious about the history of settlement and church architecture in Moravian-Silesia. The church sits away from the main tourist routes, so visitors can expect a quiet, uncrowded visit.

How do you get to the church in Bílov?

Bílov lies close to Fulnek, the town with which the parish was historically tied administratively. The church's coordinates are 49.733472 N, 18.002322 E, which makes it easy to plan a route using satellite navigation. The surroundings are rural and calm, typical of this part of Moravian-Silesia.

Frequently asked questions

How old is the church in Bílov? The current stone Baroque building dates from 1709–1733, but the history of the site goes back much further — an earlier wooden church stood here, from which a bell dated 1495 has been preserved.

Did the church always have its own parish? No. For centuries it was administered from the Augustinian monastery in Fulnek, and an independent parish was only established in 1814.

What survives from the original wooden church? A bell dated 1495 — the oldest surviving element of the entire church site in Bílov.

Is there a cemetery next to the church? Historically, yes, though land for a new cemetery was purchased in 1915, marking a gradual move away from burials directly beside the church.