Church of Saint Mary

The Church of Saint Mary in Opočno is a small, now deconsecrated church standing on the grounds of the town's old cemetery in its southeastern part. This Renaissance building from the early 17th century, also known as the Opočno Municipal Concert Hall, is protected today as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic and hosts chamber concerts of classical music.

How old is the sacred site at this spot?

A church has stood on this exact spot since at least the 14th century. A wooden parish church here is documented as early as 1361, standing well outside the town's fortifications at the time — the plot only became part of the walled town at the beginning of the 17th century. That original wooden building did not survive to the present day.

Who commissioned the stone church that stands here now?

The rebuilding of the wooden church into a stone one was commissioned at the end of the 16th century by Jan Rudolf Trčka of Lípa, then owner of the Opočno estate, with the work carried out by builder Šimon de Paret. The result of this project is the structure visitors see today: a Renaissance building completed in the early 17th century, right around the time the site itself was absorbed into the growing town.

What survives inside from that period?

The interior still holds pseudo-Renaissance furnishings along with valuable artistic decoration on the plasterwork and windows, giving the church an interior character typical of sacred architecture from this era on the border between Bohemia and Silesia. The exterior, however, changed noticeably over the following centuries — the building's current classicist facade dates from a renovation carried out in 1883–1884.

Why did the church stop being a parish church?

The church lost its parish status in 1723. From that point on it served only as a cemetery chapel rather than the town's main place of worship, and this secondary role shaped its history through to the present.

What is the connection to the Colloredo family?

A further major renovation took place in 1810, during which a burial vault for the Colloredo family was installed beneath the church floor. The Colloredo-Mannsfeld family had held the nearby Opočno chateau since the 18th century, and the crypt beneath the cemetery church became a resting place for the owners of the surrounding estate.

What is the building used for today?

The church is now deconsecrated and owned by the town of Opočno. It is sometimes referred to as the "little Marian church" or the Opočno Municipal Concert Hall — names that reflect its current role well. Cultural events, above all classical music concerts organized by the Circle of Friends of Music "Opočenská beseda," take place inside, and the building retains protected cultural-monument status.

Frequently asked questions

Is it still an active parish church? No. It lost parish status in 1723, later functioned only as a cemetery chapel, and today is fully deconsecrated.

Who built the current stone church? The rebuilding from a wooden to a stone church was commissioned at the end of the 16th century by Jan Rudolf Trčka of Lípa and carried out by builder Šimon de Paret.

What can visitors see inside? Pseudo-Renaissance furnishings along with decorated plasterwork and windows from the original rebuilding, combined with a classicist facade added in 1883–1884.

Can you go inside? The building now functions as a concert hall, so access is typically tied to cultural events organized by the local music circle rather than regular sightseeing hours.

Where exactly does the church stand? In the southeastern part of Opočno, on the grounds of the former cemetery, in the Hradec Králové region, Rychnov nad Kněžnou District, Czech Republic.