Church of Saint Mary Magdalene

The Church of Saint Mary Magdalene stands in Druztová, a small village in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic, and is protected as a cultural monument together with its adjoining mortuary chapel and the wall enclosing the churchyard.

How old is the church in Druztová?

The building has Gothic origins. It was constructed in 1351 by Racek of Švamberk, with the archbishop's permission. The first priest to serve the newly built church was Jan, in office from 1351 to 1360 — his pastoral care extended beyond Druztová itself to the nearby castle of Věžka and the village of Dolany.

Why was a church built here at all?

Before Druztová had its own church, villagers walked to services in nearby Dýšina. The trouble was the Berounka River, whose frequent flooding regularly cut the two settlements off from each other. Building a church directly in Druztová was a practical fix: it freed the local community from depending on the river's mood, and from a two-village commute that flooding could turn into a real obstacle.

What does the church's architecture look like today?

The building is a single-nave rectangular structure. A narrower, pointed-arch presbytery closes off the eastern end, with a rectangular sacristy set on the presbytery's axis. The barrel vault covering the presbytery most likely dates to 1632 — evidence of an early Baroque remodeling — and further building work followed in 1699. That layering is typical of rural churches in the region: a medieval ground plan overlaid with later stylistic additions, still legible in the structure today.

What is inside worth noticing?

The oldest surviving furnishing is an early Baroque pulpit decorated with bolt-head ornamentation, its painted images of Christ and the apostles having been retouched over the centuries — it is the single object that best conveys the building's age. The high altar is far younger, built in a pseudo-Gothic style in 1906, during a period when many village churches in the region received similarly historicizing makeovers in keeping with the taste of the day.

Can visitors go inside?

The church takes part in the nationwide Noc kostelů (Night of Churches) event, when it opens for one evening a year to visitors who would otherwise need to arrange access in advance. Outside that date, entry can be limited, since this is a filial church attached to the Roman Catholic parish of Dýšina rather than a parish with its own resident priest.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Church of Saint Mary Magdalene in Druztová a protected monument? Yes. The church, together with its adjoining mortuary chapel and churchyard wall, has been legally protected as a cultural monument since 1958.

Who founded the church, and when? It was built in 1351 by Racek of Švamberk, with the archbishop's approval. Its first priest was Jan, who served from 1351 to 1360.

Which parish does the church belong to? It is a filial church of the Roman Catholic parish in Dýšina and has no priest permanently based on site.

Where exactly is the church located? It stands in the village of Druztová in the Plzeň Region, at coordinates 49.7955628 N, 13.4555033 E.