Church of Saint James, Gothic church in Libiš, Czech Republic.

The Church of Saint James is a small single-nave Gothic building with a five-sided presbytery and a square tower added in 1541 at the southwest corner. Its massive walls, over half a metre thick in places, and the absence of windows on the north and west facades point to a fortified church that served villagers as a refuge.

The church stood before 1374, when benefices of Bohunek and Stibor of Libiš were recorded. In 1391 a contract named master builder Petr Lútka, suggesting he built it. A tower followed in 1541, and a wooden bell tower was added later.

The church is dedicated to Saint James the Greater and belongs to the Roman Catholic parish of Neratovice. A stone tablet beside the entrance records the building of the tower in 1541, when a death bell was hung in it. A separate wooden bell tower holding two bells stands beside the church.

The church stands in the northeastern corner of Libiš, in the Neratovice Roman Catholic parish; services are held there, so entry may be limited during them. The massive walls, over half a metre thick in places, and the absence of windows on the north and west facades make the building easy to recognise from the village edge.

The construction of the separate wooden bell tower is unusual and sets this place apart from most other Gothic churches in the region. This particular building solution reflects local craft traditions and the practical needs of a rural community.