sv. Florián

The Statue of Saint Florian is a late Baroque sandstone sculpture from 1779, standing in the former churchyard of the Church of the Holy Trinity in the village of Kameničky, in the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands (Chrudim district, Pardubice Region). Some records list its location as Filipov, the neighbouring part of the same municipality, but the statue itself stands in Kameničky, by the path leading to the church entrance.

Where exactly does the statue stand?

The sculpture stands in the former cemetery grounds west of the path leading to the entrance of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Kameničky. Burials here continued until the early 20th century, after which the municipality opened a new cemetery above the rectory, where a stone cross was consecrated in 1910 with Bishop Josef Doubrava in attendance. The old churchyard cemetery lost its original purpose, but it remains the spot where the statue of the saint still stands today.

Why are Filipov and Kameničky sometimes mixed up?

The municipality of Kameničky is administratively made up of two parts, Kameničky and Filipov, roughly two kilometres apart. Filipov began as a settlement founded in the late 18th century for logging tied to local ironworks and glassworks, and it even existed as an independent municipality between 1930 and 1985. When a record simply names the location "Filipov," it usually refers to the wider municipality as a whole — while a specific landmark, such as this statue, can physically stand in the neighbouring part of the village, Kameničky itself, where the parish church is located.

What does the sculpture look like?

The statue depicts Saint Florian in his classic iconography: a life-size figure of a Roman soldier in full uniform, holding a banner in his right hand, his right leg stepping forward. At his left foot lies his attribute — a burning house, onto which he pours water from a bucket held in his left hand. The figure stands on a slender pillar set on a low pedestal decorated with acanthus motifs and topped with a profiled cornice. The sculptor remains unknown.

Where did the statue come from?

Records indicate that the 1779 sandstone statue of Saint Florian originally formed a sculptural ensemble with a stone crucifix from the same year and a statue of Saint John of Nepomuk from 1723 — both once decorating a square in nearby Hlinsko, known today as Poděbradovo Square. At some point the Florian statue was moved to Kameničky, where it has stood by the Church of the Holy Trinity ever since. The church itself was built between 1764 and 1766, funded by Count Filip Kinský, on the site of an older wooden church, and its tower was rebuilt into its present form in 1830.

Why does this landmark matter?

The entire area around the Church of the Holy Trinity in Kameničky, including the statue of Saint Florian, has been listed as an immovable cultural monument of the Czech Republic since 1958. Saint Florian, patron saint of firefighters and of those threatened by fire or flood, was one of the most commonly erected saints in Central European villages during the 18th and 19th centuries, meant to protect the mostly wooden local buildings from fire. This particular statue stands out for its well-preserved, legible iconography and for a relocation history linking Kameničky with neighbouring Hlinsko.

Frequently asked questions

Where does the Statue of Saint Florian stand? In the former churchyard cemetery next to the Church of the Holy Trinity in Kameničky, Chrudim district, Pardubice Region — even though some records describe the location as Filipov.

Are Filipov and Kameničky the same place? Not quite. They are two parts of the same municipality of Kameničky, about two kilometres apart. The statue physically stands in Kameničky, not Filipov.

When was the statue made, and who created it? It dates from 1779; its sculptor is unknown.

What does the statue depict? Saint Florian as a Roman soldier pouring water from a bucket onto a burning house at his feet — the classic iconography of the patron saint of firefighters.

Is the monument protected? Yes, since 1958 the statue and the surrounding area of the Church of the Holy Trinity have been listed as an immovable cultural monument of the Czech Republic.