Church of Saints Philip and James, Baroque parish church in Zlíchov, Prague, Czech Republic
The Church of Saints Philip and James is a baroque parish church built in 1713–1714 by the Jesuits on the site of a 13th-century chapel. It has a rectangular nave with a flat ceiling, a right-angled presbytery with a square tower, and an atypical north-facing orientation due to the lack of space on the limestone cliff above the Vltava. A 225 cm sandstone pedestal in front bears a baroque statue of St John of Nepomuk.
A chapel dedicated to St Stephen was first recorded on 13 February 1257, when Přemysl Otakar II granted it to the Vyšehrad canon Bartoloměj. The Carthusians of Smíchov rebuilt it in Gothic style around 1400, and in 1624 the Jesuits of the Clementinum bought the village and its patronage. They demolished the old church and built the present baroque one in 1713–1714, consecrated on 5 May 1714.
The church is dedicated to the apostles Philip and James the Younger and was consecrated on 5 May 1714. Inside, a side altar near the tabernacle holds a baroque painting of St Wenceslas. Regular services keep the church and its cemetery open, and both also open to the public during the Night of Churches.
The church is situated in the Hlubočepy district and welcomes visitors during scheduled religious services or guided visits. Access depends on service times, so visitors should check in advance when they can enter the building.
The main altar held a panel long considered a late-Gothic carving by the court master known as IP; in 1972 it was assessed as rare and moved to the National Gallery. The church also kept a side altar with a baroque painting of St Wenceslas near the tabernacle.
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