Statue of Saint Sebastian in Dobříš

The Statue of Saint Sebastian in Dobříš stands on Mírové náměstí, the main square of this town in Central Bohemia, as a modest devotional monument with a genuinely dramatic backstory: it was raised to mark an epidemic, not to decorate a public space.

Why was a statue of Saint Sebastian erected in Dobříš?

The statue was set up as a votive offering after a plague outbreak that struck Dobříš in 1713–1714, killing around 150 residents. With no effective medical response available at the time, townspeople turned to intercessory saints associated with protection from epidemic disease. Saint Sebastian, together with Saint Roch, was among the most frequently invoked figures in Central Europe during such crises, and placing his image on the square was meant as a plea for the town to be spared further waves of the disease.

What does the statue depict?

The composition shows Saint Sebastian bound to a tree trunk, his head tilted toward his left shoulder — a traditional way of portraying the martyr, referencing the legend of his execution under Emperor Diocletian. A low cast-iron railing encloses the statue, and the pedestal itself carries four relief carvings of saints. Two of them can be identified: Saint Anthony of Padua and Saint John of Nepomuk, a saint held in particular regard throughout Bohemia; the identities of the remaining two figures are not firmly established today.

Where exactly does the monument stand?

The statue is located on Mírové náměstí (Peace Square) in Dobříš, on a small green island opposite the rectory building, shaded by a tree growing there. This is not its original position — over more than three centuries the figure has been relocated several times before reaching its current spot in the heart of town.

Who was Saint Sebastian?

According to hagiographic tradition, Sebastian was a Roman soldier of the 3rd century sentenced to death for his Christian faith by being shot with arrows — though he survived that first attempt and was executed only later. Because of this story, he became, in the medieval and early modern periods, one of the principal saints invoked against plague, which explains why his image appears so often on votive statues raised after epidemics across Bohemia and Central Europe.

What should visitors know before stopping by?

The monument is modest in scale and is not a major stop on Dobříš's sightseeing circuit, but for anyone interested in the history of epidemics and votive religious architecture, it offers a genuine, physical trace of events more than three hundred years old. It sits right in the town centre, so seeing it is easy to combine with a walk across Mírové náměstí.

Frequently asked questions

Why was a statue of Saint Sebastian erected in Dobříš? As a votive offering after the 1713–1714 plague outbreak, which killed around 150 of the town's residents.

What does the statue show? Saint Sebastian bound to a tree trunk, with his head tilted toward his left shoulder.

Where exactly is the statue located? On Mírové náměstí in Dobříš, on a green island opposite the rectory building.

What decorates the statue's pedestal? Four relief carvings of saints, including Saint Anthony of Padua and Saint John of Nepomuk.

Has the statue always stood in the same place? No — it has been moved several times over its history before reaching its current location.