Church of Saint Anthony of Padua, Baroque church in Milešov, Czech Republic.
The Church of Saint Anthony of Padua is a Baroque church in Milešov featuring stone walls, ornate altars, and detailed frescoes throughout its interior. The space includes religious statuary and decorative elements typical of the period.
The foundation stone was laid on 14 May 1669 in the presence of Kaspar Zdeněk Kaplíř of Sulevice and his third wife Anna Terezie, and the Baroque church was consecrated on 1 September 1680 by Jaroslav Ignác Šternberk, bishop of Litoměřice. Kaplíř endowed it with 1,000 gulden, paying 60 gulden a year for its upkeep. The design is often attributed to Antonio della Porta, though no archival document confirms this.
The church is used for occasional services, not regular parish worship. Its patron saint was chosen because Kaspar Zdeněk Kaplíř of Sulevice held a long-standing devotion to Anthony of Padua, and the church still belongs to the Roman Catholic parish of Milešov.
The church stands on the southeastern edge of Milešov, part of the Velemín municipality in the Litoměřice district. It is used for occasional services only, so there are no regular visiting hours; the Kruh přátel kostela v Milešově association and the Litoměřice diocese handle upkeep and openings.
A wooden bell tower on a stone base stood behind the presbytery from 1669, held three bells requisitioned in World War I, was last repaired in 1867 and was toppled by a gale in June 1984. Only the church remains.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,285 contributors worldwide.