Church of Saints Peter and Paul

The Church of Saints Peter and Paul stands at the heart of Šlapanov, a small village in the Vysočina Region, Havlíčkův Brod district in the Czech Republic. The municipality also includes Kněžská, a former German settlement first recorded in 1347 under the name Pfaffendorf and folded into Šlapanov in 1869. If a map or address points you toward the church "in Kněžská," you're being pointed at the exact same building — the two names describe one and the same municipality.

How old is this church, really?

The current structure dates back to around 1258, but a parish had already been active on this site since the mid-12th century. That makes the church one of the oldest ecclesiastical foundations in the area, predating most of the village's surviving buildings by centuries.

Baroque on the outside, Gothic underneath?

What visitors see today is largely the result of a 1733 rebuilding that gave the church its Baroque appearance. Beneath that later work, though, a Gothic core survives — some sources even point to traces of late Romanesque construction. The layout follows a straightforward plan: a single nave, a square presbytery, and a prism-shaped tower attached on the north side.

Why does the tower stand out so much?

The tower's history has been rougher than the rest of the building. A violent storm damaged it badly in 1801, forcing a major rebuild. Its present form dates to 1899, when it was raised by 26 metres — the reason it dominates the skyline of the village and is visible well before you reach the church itself. A carillon was later installed in the tower, playing a different melody every hour, sometimes drawn from serious music, sometimes from folk tunes. It's worth timing a visit to catch at least one chime.

Is there anything worth seeing outside the church itself?

The church grounds are enclosed by the wall of a former cemetery, and the entrance is marked by a portal topped with a statue of the Virgin Mary. It's an easy detail to miss if you head straight for the church door instead of walking the perimeter first.

Where did the design come from?

One detail sets this village church apart from its regional neighbours: it largely echoes the layout of the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Rome. A rural parish church deliberately modelling itself on a major Roman basilica, rather than simply following local building conventions, is unusual for this part of the Czech countryside.

Does the church carry any protected status?

Yes — it is listed as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic, a status that protects not just the building itself but its surroundings, including the cemetery wall and the entrance portal.

Frequently asked questions

Is the church in Kněžská the same as the church in Šlapanov? Yes. Kněžská has been part of the Šlapanov municipality since 1869, so any reference to a church "in Kněžská" leads to this same building in the centre of Šlapanov.

How old is the church? The building dates to around 1258, though a parish existed here even earlier, from the mid-12th century. It received its current Baroque look in 1733.

Why is the tower so tall? After storm damage in 1801, the tower was rebuilt, and in 1899 it was raised by 26 metres, giving it the commanding profile visible today.

What else is worth seeing besides the interior? The former cemetery wall with its Virgin Mary-topped entrance portal, and the tower's carillon, which chimes a different melody every hour — both easy to overlook on a quick visit.