Saint Florian Church in Držovice

Saint Florian Church in Držovice is a Roman Catholic subsidiary church standing in the village of Držovice in the Prostějov district of Moravia, Czech Republic. Built in the early 20th century on the initiative of the local community, it still serves its original religious function today and remains one of the recognizable landmarks in the village.

What is the history of the church?

Efforts to give Držovice its own place of worship date back to 1901, when a local society was founded with the aim of building a chapel for the village. Construction of the larger building that stands today eventually took place between 1914 and 1916. The plans were prepared and the construction work carried out by the building firm Konečný a Nedělník, which also donated 10,000 bricks for the project. The church was consecrated in 1919, on the feast day of Saint Florian, the patron to whom it was dedicated. In 2004, the building underwent renovation.

Who is the church dedicated to?

The church's patron is Saint Florian, venerated in Catholic tradition among other things as the patron saint of firefighters. This choice of patron was not unusual in rural Central European communities, where protection from fire had long been of central importance to the safety of villagers and their farms.

Is there another building dedicated to the same saint nearby?

It is worth knowing that Držovice also has a separate, much older sacred building dedicated to the same saint — a Baroque chapel of Saint Florian, built in 1708, standing on a hill behind the village. The church described here is a different, younger building, constructed two centuries later in the center of the village, so visitors planning a trip should be clear about which structure they mean to visit.

Where exactly is the church located?

The church stands within the village of Držovice, at geographic coordinates near 49.4912°N, 17.1339°E. Držovice borders the town of Prostějov and forms part of its wider agglomeration, which makes the site easy to reach for anyone touring the region.

Can visitors go inside the church?

As an active subsidiary church, the building primarily serves the liturgical and pastoral needs of the local parish community. Visitors should keep this in mind and treat the site with the respect appropriate for a sacred building still in regular use.

Frequently asked questions

When was Saint Florian Church in Držovice built? It was constructed between 1914 and 1916, and the church was consecrated in 1919.

Who built the church? The plans and construction work were carried out by the firm Konečný a Nedělník, which also donated 10,000 bricks toward the project.

Why is the church dedicated to Saint Florian? Saint Florian is venerated in Catholic tradition as the patron saint of firefighters, and efforts to build a place of worship for him in Držovice began as early as 1901 through a local society.

Is there only one building dedicated to Saint Florian in Držovice? No — besides this church, the village also has an older, Baroque chapel of Saint Florian from 1708, located on a hill behind Držovice.

Has the church been renovated? Yes, the building underwent renovation in 2004.