Church of Saint Wenceslaus

The Church of Saint Wenceslaus stands on a small hill in the middle of the village of Horní Mokropsy, part of the municipality of Všenory, on the slope of the Hřebeny hills above the Berounka river, a short distance southwest of Prague. Behind its modest appearance lies a history reaching back to the Middle Ages and one of the more interesting pieces of sacral art in this part of the Czech Republic.

How old is this church?

The village of Horní Mokropsy is first documented as early as 1088, and the original church on this site was built in the first half of the 14th century — the exact founding date is not recorded. The building survived through the following centuries until 1732, when the abbot of the Zbraslav monastery, the Cistercian Tomáš Budecius, commissioned a thorough reconstruction. That rebuilding gave the church its current Baroque form on a cross-shaped ground plan, which it has kept ever since. The pseudo-Romanesque tower, clearly visible from the surrounding area, is a later addition dating from 1870.

What does the church look like today?

The layout consists of a square nave with an attached presbytery and an axial tower. The presbytery is covered with a barrel vault with lunettes, and its walls still carry fresco paintings — some of them, by V. Weisse, dating from 1850. This combination of 18th-century Baroque architecture and mid-19th-century painted decoration gives the interior a layered, historical character.

What is inside — the Mokropsy Gothic altar

The most valuable item the church once held was a late Gothic winged altar, known as the Mokropsy altar. It originally consisted of two movable, double-sided painted wings and a central image depicting the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, dated to around 1500. Today the altar is disassembled into its separate parts — a common fate for medieval works of this kind — yet it remains an important testimony to the church's Gothic-era furnishings.

Bells and parish tradition

In 1982, to mark the 250th anniversary of the 1732 Baroque reconstruction, the parish acquired two new bells. They were consecrated by Cardinal František Tomášek, and rang for the first time during the parish feast day Mass on 28 September 1982 — the feast of the church's patron, Saint Wenceslaus.

How to find the church in Horní Mokropsy

The church stands in Horní Mokropsy, part of the municipality of Všenory, above the Berounka river, along the route connecting Prague and Beroun. Perched on its hill, the building is visible from the surrounding roads and serves as a local landmark for the whole village.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the church's patron saint? The church is dedicated to Saint Wenceslaus, the patron saint of Bohemia, whose feast day falls on 28 September.

Which municipality does Horní Mokropsy belong to? Horní Mokropsy is part of the municipality of Všenory, which is why the church is referred to both as the church in Horní Mokropsy and the church in Všenory.

When did the church get its current form? The current Baroque, cross-shaped form dates from the 1732 reconstruction ordered by the Zbraslav abbot Tomáš Budecius, while the tower was added later, in 1870.

Has the original altar survived? The late Gothic Mokropsy altar from around 1500, depicting the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, has survived, but it is now disassembled into its component parts rather than displayed in its original folded form.