Church of Saints Peter and Paul, Romanesque church in Volenice, Czech Republic

The Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Volenice is a late Romanesque parish church built by the Strakonice workshop in 1230–1240, later rebuilt in Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque phases. The masonry of the main nave and the stone portal in the southern crypt survive from the Romanesque period. The nave carries a vault with circular and elliptical ornaments and convex ribs meeting at eight intersections carved with grimacing masks; the western keystone bears the arms of Mrs Kocová of Dobrš, the eastern one the golden wheel of the Koc family of Dobrš.

The Church of Saints Peter and Paul was built in 1230–1240 by the Strakonice workshop as a late Romanesque church. Fires led to repairs and rebuildings; the Gothic phase came in 1577 under architect Tomáš Červený of Mendrisio, who rebuilt the presbytery, the nave vault and the side aisle. A Baroque tower was added in 1715, and in 1909 Kamil Hilbert directed a complete restoration.

The church remains an active pilgrimage site, with an annual pilgrimage held every 29 June, the feast of Saints Peter and Paul. The Koc family of Dobrš had their family tomb here, and their coat of arms — a golden wheel — is carved on the eastern keystone of the nave vault, while the western keystone bears the arms of Mrs Kocová of Dobrš.

The church stands in the village of Volenice in the Strakonice district of South Bohemia, and it remains an active Roman Catholic parish church and pilgrimage site. A pilgrimage is held here every year on 29 June, the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, so expect crowds around that date.

During excavation of the Koc family tomb, two huge teeth were found and thought to be human: one 6.5 cm long and 3 cm wide, the other 5 cm by 2.5 cm. Both are now set into the wall above the entrance to the main nave, where visitors can look for them.