Church of Saint Mary Magdalene (Červená Řečice)

The Church of Saint Mary Magdalene in Červená Řečice (Kostel svaté Máří Magdaleny) is a modest parish church at the centre of the village of Červená Řečice, in the Vysočina region of the eastern Czech Republic. Its plain village exterior hides a history stretching back to the 13th century, tied to some of the most turbulent chapters of medieval Bohemian history.

Where exactly is the church located?

Červená Řečice sits in the Vysočina region, on the road connecting Pelhřimov and Vlašim — two towns that roughly mark the border zone between Bohemia proper and the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands. It's classic Vysočina countryside: rolling hills, small villages, and a slower pace of travel away from the region's main tourist routes. The church itself stands right in the centre of the village and dominates its skyline.

How old is the church, and why was it fortified?

The church already existed before 1283. That year, Prague bishop Tobiáš of Bechyně ordered it fortified — prepared for defence against the troops of the Margrave of Brandenburg, Otto. This was during the period known as the Brandenburg rule over Bohemia: after the death of King Přemysl Otakar II, guardianship over the young King Wenceslaus II and effective control of the country fell to Brandenburg invaders, plunging Bohemia into chaos, plundering, and local armed conflict. Fortifying the church at that moment wasn't a symbolic gesture — it was a genuine defensive necessity.

Why did the church host such high-ranking clergy?

The nearby water fortress at Červená Řečice — today rebuilt as a chateau — belonged at the time to the bishops of Prague. That made the village and its church a stopping point for senior figures of the Prague diocese. In 1392, the general vicar of Archbishop John of Jenštejn stayed here — a clergyman who, a few years later, died a martyr's death as John of Nepomuk and was canonised, becoming one of the best-known Czech saints.

What role did the church play in the region's church structure?

Until the outbreak of the Hussite Wars, Červená Řečice was the seat of a deanery, functioning as a local centre of church administration overseeing the surrounding parishes. That role shows that despite the village's small size, its church and clergy held real weight in the region's ecclesiastical hierarchy before the Hussite period upended it.

What happened to the church after the Hussite Wars?

For nearly two centuries, until 1619, the church was administered by Utraquist priests, who gave communion in both kinds according to Hussite tradition; the last of them was Jan Jacobides of Benešov. Only after 1619 did Catholic priests take over the parish again, and from 1623 Červená Řečice once more came under the authority of the Prague archbishopric. By the end of the 17th century, the church had also regained its former rank as a deanery church, a status it had lost amid the Hussite-era upheavals.

Is the church worth visiting today?

For visitors interested in Bohemian medieval history and the Reformation era, the church in Červená Řečice packs events of national significance into a quiet, rural setting — from the Brandenburg invasion, through its link to Saint John of Nepomuk, to the long-running religious dispute between Utraquists and the Catholic Church. It makes a worthwhile stop for anyone touring the Vysočina region who wants more than just scenic landscapes.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Church of Saint Mary Magdalene located? In the village of Červená Řečice, in the Vysočina region, on the road between Pelhřimov and Vlašim.

How old is the church? It already existed before 1283 — the same year Prague bishop Tobiáš of Bechyně had it fortified against Brandenburg troops.

What is the church's connection to Saint John of Nepomuk? In 1392 it hosted the general vicar of Archbishop John of Jenštejn, a clergyman later canonised as Saint John of Nepomuk.

Was the church Catholic throughout its history? No. Until 1619 it was run by Utraquist priests; only after that year did the parish return permanently to the Catholic Church.