Church of Saint Martin, Gothic church in Dražice, Czech Republic.
The Church of Saint Martin in Dražice is a Gothic building from the 14th century, later repaired and rebuilt. It keeps its original Early Gothic windows, and inside are fragments of wall paintings showing scenes from the Marian legend, dated to the second half of the 14th century. It is protected as a cultural monument.
The church was first documented in the Roudnice Necrology, which records that Bishop Jan of Dražice built it at his own expense and dedicated it to Saint Ludmila. In the early 17th century, Martin Průšek, mayor of Benátky, repaired it and rededicated it to Saint Martin. It was deconsecrated in 1783 under Joseph II, sold in 1827 and used as a hayloft and sheepfold, then restored and reconsecrated in 1926; in 2021 it was again co-dedicated to Saint Ludmila.
The church was founded by Bishop Jan of Dražice in the 14th century and consecrated to Saint Ludmila; in the early 17th century the Benešov burgomaster Martin Průšek had it repaired and rededicated to Saint Martin, for whom a wooden carved altar image of Martin on horseback giving his cloak to a beggar was made, now kept in the museum at Benátky. On 4 September 2021, the 1100th anniversary of Ludmila's martyrdom, the church was again co-dedicated to her.
The church functions as an active place of worship with regular services and remains central to the local community. Visitors should approach this as a working religious building and conduct themselves respectfully.
The church was deconsecrated in 1783 under Joseph II and sold in 1827 as a farm building, serving as a hayloft or sheepfold. Only after the land reform did the Dražice cooperative, through director František Hofman, repair it, and it was reconsecrated in 1926. The restoration uncovered valuable wall paintings from the reign of Charles IV.
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