Church of Saint James the Greater, Religious monument in Kounice, Czech Republic

The Church of Saint James the Greater in Kounice has a nave built in 1834–1836 to a design by Matyáš Čermák, the Lichtenstein princely builder, in Empire style with a semicircular neo-Romanesque apse. Its medieval prismatic tower, once a defensive structure, was lowered by one storey during Baroque alterations in 1769. Under the Baroque plaster, sandstone ashlar masonry from the medieval building was uncovered during the 1988 reconstruction.

A church existed here by the 12th century and was documented as a parish church in 1352, with Zdeněk, Jan and Jiří of Kounice as patrons. The medieval fortified tower survived, but in 1834 the Gothic nave was demolished and replaced by a wider Empire-style nave with a Neo-Romanesque apse, designed by Matyáš Čermák and consecrated in 1836.

The church is a filial church of the Český Brod parish, in the Kolín vicariate, so regular services are held from there rather than by a resident priest. Its patron saint, James the Greater, is recalled by the name; the building stands beside the Kounice chateau in the village centre.

The church stands in the center of Kounice village in the Central Bohemian Region. It is easily reached on foot and serves as a clear orientation point within the small settlement.

The tower predates the main church body by several centuries, having survived from the medieval period while everything else was rebuilt. This visible contrast between old stone tower and newer facade tells the story of how the building adapted over time.