Church of Saint Procopius

Church of Saint Procopius in Chyšky stands on raised ground at the center of the village, in the Písek district of the South Bohemian Region, Czech Republic. It is a Roman Catholic parish church whose origins reach back to the Middle Ages, combining Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque elements in a single structure.

How old is the church in Chyšky?

The oldest part of the building dates from the mid-13th century and is Romanesque in character. The church was founded by the lords of Rožmberk, and together with the rectory it forms the oldest surviving part of the village. Records of the Vltava deanery already mention the church in 1350, and it was elevated to parish status in 1365. Over the following centuries the building was reworked in Gothic and later Baroque style, which shaped the interior and facades seen today.

What happened during the Hussite Wars?

The church did not escape the region's turbulent history. In 1420, as Hussite forces marched toward the monastery in Milevsko, they burned the church in Chyšky, drove out the local priest, and caused serious damage to property belonging to the Rožmberk family. The destruction from this period led to later reconstruction and remodeling of the building.

What does the church's architecture look like?

The church is a single-nave building with a rectangular, vaulted nave. To the east, a narrower presbytery with an apsidal closure adjoins the nave. This layout — a plain nave paired with a distinct, semicircularly closed presbytery — is typical of rural Romanesque churches in the region and reflects the successive stages of rebuilding, from the original Romanesque structure through Gothic and Baroque changes to the form visible today.

What is notable about the organ?

Starting in 2009, the parish ran a fundraising campaign called "New Organs for Chyšky" to finance a new instrument. The effort succeeded: on July 1, 2018, new organs built by the Italian organ maker Giovanni Pradelly were ceremonially consecrated — one of the more recent chapters in the church's long history.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Church of Saint Procopius located? In the center of the village of Chyšky, on raised ground, in the Písek district of the South Bohemian Region (coordinates: 49.523030, 14.426814).

In what style was the church built? Its oldest part is Romanesque (mid-13th century), later rebuilt in Gothic and then Baroque style.

Who founded the church? It was founded by the lords of Rožmberk, an influential noble family in the South Bohemian region.

Was the church damaged in the past? Yes — in 1420, during the Hussite Wars, it was burned and the local priest was driven out.

What organ does the church have? New organs built by the Italian organ maker Giovanni Pradelly were consecrated on July 1, 2018, following a parish fundraising campaign that began in 2009.