Gothic Church of St Andrew in Nelahozeves

The medieval Church of St Andrew in Nelahozeves (Melník District) is a single-nave structure with a narrow pentagonal presbytery and a rectangular sacristy on its northern side. It is less renowned than the nearby Renaissance castle on the promontory to the south of the church, built by Florian Griespeck of Griesbach, or the native house of the composer Antonín Dvorák. The limited body of older and newer literature does not provide a uniform dating of the building’s origin within the 14th century, and the church has not been placed within the broader architectural and stylistic context. Completed this year (2024–2025), the general reconstruction and related research have helped to expand on the modest knowledge about the structure and aim to incorporate it into the development of Central Bohemian rural churches with similar layouts and vaulting systems. According to the dendrochronological assessment by Tomáš Kyncl in 2024, it is suggested that the preserved Gothic core of the church was built between 1350 and 1360.

Keywords: Bohemia – Nelahozeves – architecture – Church of St Andrew – Middle Ages – 14th century