Church of Saints Peter and Paul (Miroslav)

The Church of Saints Peter and Paul is a Roman Catholic parish church standing in the centre of Miroslav, a small town in the Znojmo district of South Moravia. This Baroque building from the 1720s serves as the main church of the local parish and is protected as a cultural monument.

How old is the church in Miroslav?

The first written mention of a church in Miroslav dates back to 1244. That early building was Romanesque in style and, in all likelihood, was originally dedicated to Saint Peter alone – the joint dedication to Peter and Paul appears to have been added only later. The building visitors see today is not that medieval structure, but the result of a thorough Baroque reconstruction carried out between 1722 and 1729. The project was commissioned by the monastery in Louka, which at the time owned the Miroslav estate, and it was designed by an architect whose name has not survived.

How was the church actually built?

One notable detail is the sequence in which the Baroque church was raised: it was not built all at once, but in stages. Construction began with the presbytery – the space around the main altar – followed by the nave, and finally the tower. This staged approach was common for larger church-building projects of the period and allowed the parish to use part of the building well before the entire structure was finished.

What does the architecture and interior look like?

The church is a single-nave, east-oriented building, closed on the eastern end by a narrower, three-sided choir. This layout – a plain nave paired with a distinct, narrowed presbytery – is a typical solution found in Baroque religious architecture across Moravia. Inside, the main altar draws the eye with its painting depicting the parting of Saints Peter and Paul. The painting was repainted in 1850, evidence that the church's interior decoration has been maintained and refreshed by generations of parishioners over the centuries.

Why is this church worth a visitor's attention?

The Church of Saints Peter and Paul carries traces of nearly eight centuries of the town's history – from a medieval mention in the 13th century, through a Baroque rebuilding at a time when Miroslav belonged to the Louka monastery, to 19th-century conservation work on its interior. For anyone exploring Miroslav, the church is a natural landmark in the town centre and a tangible reminder of how monastic estates shaped the architecture of the Znojmo region.

Frequently asked questions

How old is the church in Miroslav? A church on this site has existed since at least 1244, but the current Baroque building was constructed between 1722 and 1729 on the site of an older Romanesque church.

Who was the church originally dedicated to? Evidence suggests the original Romanesque building was dedicated to Saint Peter alone, with the joint dedication to Saints Peter and Paul added at a later point.

Who built the current Baroque church? Construction was funded by the monastery in Louka, which owned the Miroslav estate in the 18th century, and the work proceeded in stages – from the presbytery, to the nave, to the tower.

What is depicted on the main altar? The main altar features a painting of the parting of Saints Peter and Paul, repainted in 1850.

Is the church a protected monument? Yes, the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Miroslav is protected as a cultural monument.