Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Baroque church in Starkoč, Czech Republic

The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Starkoč is a single-nave Baroque church with a massive square tower in the facade, built in 1738. Its rounded corners, lizen-striped facade and simple window frames follow a simplified design by K. I. Dienzenhofer from 1732. The interior has a flat ceiling, and the church stands on a small hill above the village, surrounded by a walled cemetery.

A parish church existed here by 1352, when the village is first documented together with a fortress. That Gothic church, described in 1714 as small and dark with one tower and two bells, was replaced by the present High Baroque building erected in 1738 at the expense of Countess Josefa of Thun, born of Oettingen-Wallerstein. Repairs followed in 1875–1876 and again in 1936 after cracks appeared in 1909.

The church is a filial church of the Zbyslav parish, and regular services are no longer held there. The main altar dates from the early 18th century, while the other furnishings are from the mid-18th century. The altarpiece, attributed to a pupil of Petr Brandl, is kept in the Broumov monastery; the church displays a reproduction.

The building has been under restoration since April 2019, with work focused on preserving its structure and historical details. Visitors should expect that certain areas may not be fully accessible during this time.

The church is a simplified replica of a type designed by K. I. Dienzenhofer in 1732 for Vysoké Chvojno and Počaply u Berouna. Nine marble figural tombstones of the Chotouchovský z Nebovid family, owners of the village, are set into the cemetery wall; they date from the second half of the 16th and early 17th century.