Socha sv. Jana Nepomuckého

The Statue of St. John of Nepomuk is a Baroque sculpture standing in the small cluster of monuments that has gathered over time around the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in the centre of Hořice. It depicts one of the most recognisable saints of Czech Baroque culture — a canon of the Prague chapter who became a symbol of the inviolability of the confessional seal.

Who was St. John of Nepomuk?

John of Pomuk lived in the second half of the 14th century and served as vicar-general of the Prague diocese. According to tradition, he was drowned in the Vltava River in 1393 on the orders of King Wenceslaus IV, most commonly said to be a punishment for refusing to break the seal of confession regarding the queen. This story turned him into the patron saint of confession and good reputation, as well as protector against floods and drowning. His statues — typically shown in a canon's cassock, holding a crucifix, and crowned with a halo of five stars — were erected on bridges, riversides and church squares across Bohemia.

When was the statue created, and by whom?

The figure is dated to 1730, directly tied to John of Nepomuk's canonisation the year before, in 1729 — an event that triggered a wave of statue commissions across the Habsburg monarchy. The Hořice sculpture is the work of J. F. Pacák, a sculptor associated with the workshop of Matyáš Bernard Braun in nearby Kuks. The same artist, in the same year, also created the nearby group known as "Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane" (also called the Guardian Angel), making the two works a matched pair commissioned for the same site.

Why does the statue stand here?

The Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary traces its roots to the 13th century, though its Gothic predecessor burned down in 1738. The new Baroque church was built between 1741 and 1744 to a design by Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer, one of the leading architects of Czech Baroque, with the onion-domed tower completed in 1748. Further fires in 1778 and 1838 required repairs, and the church underwent a thorough restoration in the 1990s. Several Baroque statues, including Pacák's work, were gathered around the church over time, forming a small but coherent open-air ensemble in the heart of town.

What else can be seen at the same spot?

Besides St. John of Nepomuk, the churchyard holds the aforementioned "Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane" group by the same sculptor, the "Statue of the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child" from 1735 by J. V. Devoty (another pupil of the Braun workshop), and the later 19th-century figure of St. Florian by local sculptor Josef Rychtera. Nearby, on Komenského street, stand a monument to Jan Amos Komenský and the bronze sculpture "Man at Work" by Ladislav Šaloun from 1908 — a mix showing how different eras meet on one small square, from Baroque devotion to secular monuments of modern Czech culture.

Why is it worth a visit?

Hořice has long been known for its stone-carving tradition, and this statue is one of the oldest surviving examples of that craft in town. Visiting the churchyard takes only a few minutes but allows visitors to trace the development of local Baroque sculpture — from Pacák's early work to 19th-century additions — within one compact square in the centre of Hořice.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the figure depicted? St. John of Nepomuk, a 14th-century Prague canon, patron saint of confession and protection from drowning, canonised in 1729.

When was the statue made, and who created it? It dates from 1730 and was made by J. F. Pacák, a sculptor from the workshop circle of Matyáš Bernard Braun of Kuks.

Where exactly does the statue stand? At the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in the centre of Hořice, among other Baroque statues from the same period.

Are there other monuments nearby? Yes — the immediate surroundings include "Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane" by the same sculptor, the "Statue of the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child," and a statue of St. Florian.