Church of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist in Slušovice

The Church of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist stands on Svobody Square, right in the centre of Slušovice, a Moravian town roughly ten kilometres from Zlín. It is the fourth church in the town's history, built in a late Baroque style in the early 19th century, and it still carries traces of the churches that came before it.

How many churches stood here before this one?

The parish's religious history stretches back much further than the current building. A first, wooden church is said to have stood as early as the 9th century near what is now the local airport, and a second wooden one later stood by the manor court, surrounded by the settlement of Old Slušovice. The third church, built of stone in Gothic style in the second half of the 13th century, eventually began to suffer from unstable, subsiding ground — a problem serious enough that the town ultimately built an entirely new church on a different, more central site.

When was the current church built, and what was it built from?

Construction began in 1812, and the church was consecrated three years later, in 1815, after work was completed. Stone taken from the demolished Gothic church was reused to raise the new, late Baroque structure — the old building quite literally became material for the new one. A stone cross from that earlier church also survived and can still be seen inside the present-day building as a relic of its predecessor.

What changed after the 1938 fire?

A fire in 1938 damaged the church, which was then thoroughly rebuilt and refitted. The postwar redecoration included stained-glass windows depicting Czech saints. Two valuable elements from the original Gothic church survived, however: a vault boss beneath the choir loft engraved with the Sternberg star, and a painting of Mary with the Christ Child, which today hangs on the right side of the presbytery.

What's in the tower and inside the church?

Four bells hang in the tower — two carried over from the previous church, including a Baroque bell cast in 1774, plus a pair cast in 1972. The two older bells from the earlier church are now displayed inside the building, beneath a modern interpretation of the Stations of the Cross.

Why does the church matter to naturalists too?

Beyond its historical and religious value, the parish church in Slušovice holds the status of a site of European significance, thanks to a large bat colony roosting in its attic and tower. It's an unusual case of a religious monument that doubles as a protected habitat within Europe's nature-conservation network.

How has the church changed in recent decades?

The building has been repaired several times — in 1897, 1901 and 1959 — with the most recent major renovation carried out between 2008 and 2010. Thanks to this upkeep, the church remains in good condition and continues to function as an active parish church, as well as one of the most recognisable landmarks in central Slušovice.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the church in Slušovice? On Svobody Square in the town centre, about 10 km northeast of Zlín and 5 km northwest of Vizovice.

In what style was the current church built, and when? In late Baroque style, between 1812 and 1815, on the site of an earlier Gothic church whose stone was reused for the new building.

Which church is this in the town's history? The fourth — after two earlier wooden churches and a third, stone Gothic church from the 13th century that was undermined by subsiding ground.

What survives from the earlier Gothic church? A stone cross inside the current building, a vault boss carved with the Sternberg star, and a painting of Mary with the Christ Child in the presbytery.

Why is the church notable from a nature-conservation perspective? Because of a bat colony living in its tower and attic, which has given it the status of a site of European significance.

When was the church last renovated? Its most recent major renovation ran from 2008 to 2010, following earlier repairs in 1897, 1901 and 1959.