Church of Saint John the Baptist, Gothic church in Malín, Czech Republic
The Church of Saint John the Baptist is a single-nave rectangular church with a semicircular apse and a two-storey prism tower at the northwest corner. The tower has pointed-arch windows and a steep mansard roof, while the nave has a flat ceiling and a late-medieval roof truss. A walled cemetery with a decorated gate stands before the west facade.
The church was probably built in the late 10th century in Romanesque style on the site of the Slavníkovci hillfort, though this dating was not confirmed by survey. It was rebuilt in the 12th century, and the lower part of the tower dates from the early 14th century. Under Josephinian reforms it was deconsecrated and sold at auction to the village of Malín in 1787, serving as a store for vegetables, boards and farm tools; a granary was set up in 1822. In 1920–1922 it was converted for the Czechoslovak Hussite Church and restored.
The Ministry of Culture recognizes this church as a designated cultural monument, emphasizing its architectural value within the Czech heritage preservation system.
The church stands on a slope on the western side of Malín, within the village built-up area. The cemetery with its wall and decorated gate lies in front of the western facade. The nave is entered by a plain doorway in the middle of its south side, and the tower has a portal on the west. The interior is flat-ceilinged, with a wooden west gallery reached by stairs in the tower base.
Archaeological findings emerged during repair work in 2007, offering new insights into the building's early developmental phases. These discoveries reveal how the structure transformed across centuries.
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