Church of Saint Michael, Romanesque church in Vítochov, Czech Republic.
The Church of Saint Michael is built of rough stone with lime mortar and looks like a fortress. It has a nearly square presbytery with a barrel vault, a slightly rectangular nave with a beamed ceiling, and a tower on the south side built in three stages. A sacristy adjoins the north side of the presbytery.
The building was constructed in the middle of the 13th century, replacing an ancient burial site from pre-Christian times at this location. It stands as evidence of the religious transformation that occurred in the region during the medieval period.
A local legend links the church's founding to Saint Methodius, who is said to have consecrated a chapel here built by Dětoch after a pine trunk planted upside down took root on the hill. Mass is now held only occasionally, and a memorial pine planted by actor Luděk Munzar in 2002 stands nearby.
Visiting the church requires coordination with the parish office of Bystřice nad Pernštejnem in the Brno diocese to arrange access. It is best to contact ahead to plan your visit.
During amateur excavations in 1967–1969, three skeletons were found stacked about 10 cm apart beneath the foundations in the right corner of the apse. Around the altar lay ten complete skeletons, one about 210 cm tall, all buried with heads to the east.
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