Vepice

Vepice is a small village about two kilometres from the centre of Kovářov, in the Písek district of the South Bohemian Region. Home to only a few dozen people today, the settlement traces its written history back to the fourteenth century, and its surroundings still hold traces of a vanished noble family, a chapel from the early 1900s, and old granite quarries.

Where does the name Vepice come from and how old is the village?

The settlement was originally recorded as Epice, a name derived from the Old Czech personal name Epa (or Epp), which also gave rise to the surname of the local lower-nobility family who once ruled here. The earliest surviving document mentioning Vepice dates from 1373, describing a legal dispute over boundary stones between Jaroslav of Vepice and the monastery in Milevsko. That record is the earliest firm evidence of the settlement's existence.

Did Vepice once have its own fortress?

Yes, and in an unusual spot — on an islet in the middle of a pond known as Nový rybník, on the south-eastern edge of the village. The fortress served as the seat of the Vepice family of lower nobility, whose coat of arms reportedly featured a dog's head. One notable family member, František of Vepice, served as abbot of the Milevsko monastery from 1383 to 1404 and helped rebuild its church. The family and their stronghold disappeared from the record toward the end of the fifteenth century: in 1498 the estate passed to Heinrich of Březí, stayed with the Březí lords for decades, and was joined to the Kovářov estate around 1590, coming under Jiří of Švamberk, lord of Orlík, by 1592. The fortress itself has not survived — only a low earthen mound roughly fifty metres across remains on the islet, now protected as a cultural monument.

What else can visitors see in the village?

At the centre of Vepice stands a neo-Romanesque chapel dedicated to the Holy Cross, consecrated in 1901 by parish priest F. Bodláček. Its construction was funded largely by the local community: founder Jan Dolista contributed 600 crowns, teacher Marie Hlavínová gave another 400, and the village covered the rest in materials and labour. Near the site of the old manor house, registered under house number 9, fragments of the original stone foundations still survive. The surrounding countryside includes the ponds Nový rybník, Ždír and Díl, plus several wayside crosses, among them a stone cross from 1857 and cast-iron votive crosses.

What is the area around Vepice known for?

The surroundings of the village have long been associated with granite quarrying. Local quarries once produced a distinctive bluish decorative granite used in construction and stonework, and the same quarries are known today among mineral collectors for the characteristic rock specimens found there.

How has the population of Vepice changed over time?

Vepice was once a considerably larger settlement than it is today. In the mid-nineteenth century it had close to two hundred residents living in roughly two dozen houses. Population decline continued steadily through the twentieth century — by mid-century the village counted just over a hundred inhabitants — and by 2021 only 39 people remained, spread across 32 houses. Vepice functioned as an independent municipality until 1960, when it was incorporated into Kovářov.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Vepice located? Vepice is part of the municipality of Kovářov in the Písek district of the South Bohemian Region, about two kilometres from the centre of Kovářov.

Has the Vepice fortress survived to the present day? Not as a building — only a small earthen mound remains on the islet in Nový rybník where the fortress once stood, now protected as a cultural monument.

When was the local chapel built? The neo-Romanesque Holy Cross chapel was consecrated in 1901, funded mainly by contributions from villagers.

How many people live in Vepice today? According to 2021 data, the village has 39 residents living in 32 houses, far fewer than in the nineteenth century.

Was Vepice ever an independent municipality? Yes, it remained a self-governing municipality until 1960, when it was merged into Kovářov.