Church of the Visitation of Our Lady, Baroque church in Skoky, Czech Republic.
The Church of the Visitation of Our Lady is a single-nave baroque church built in 1736–1738 by Johann Schmidt of Útvina, with a two-tower facade and a rectangular presbytery flanked by two sacristies. It stands on an artificial terrace drained by two tunnels, and its interior is entered through iron gates with star motifs in a diagonal grille.
A chapel built in 1717 by farmer Adam Lienert stood here until 1736, when Margrave Ludwig of Baden commissioned the Útvina builder Johann Schmidt to erect the present church, consecrated in 1738 before some 8,000 pilgrims. Pilgrimages were banned under Joseph II and resumed only in the 20th century; the village was cleared in the late 1960s and the access road flooded by the Žlutice reservoir.
Pilgrims gather here on 1 May and the first Sunday in July, continuing a tradition revived in 2013 with additional services. The Czech saying "Panenko Skákavá" comes from Skoky, and the site is sometimes called the "Czech Lourdes". A copy of the pilgrimage image from Teplá Monastery is displayed during the pilgrimage season.
The building is currently undergoing restoration, which may limit access to certain areas or the interior. It is wise to check locally about viewing possibilities, as renovation work may affect when you can see inside or must admire it from outside.
The nickname "Czech Lourdes" and the exclamation "Panenko Skákavá" both come from Skoky. A poetry jukebox was installed next to the church in summer 2022, and a 58 km seasonal pilgrimage route, the Skokovská stezka, leads here from the Teplá monastery.
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