Church of St. Jiljí Milevsko

The Romanesque building was in the form of a single-nave church with a rectangular end on the east side, with total dimensions of 9 x 19.7 m. It was in the emporium or tribune that Grand Duke George of Milevsko was able to watch the services. It is documented that the owner's churches usually stood near the residences of the nobles, and therefore in this case it can be assumed that near the church of St. Jiljí found the seat of George of Milevsko.

Church of St. Jiljí served as the parish and monastery church of the Virgin Mary, which is located near it, used mainly by monks.

The church underwent a significant Gothic reconstruction sometime around 1400, while a fairly substantial part of the Romanesque church was demolished. Very valuable is the net vault of the Milevsky type, located in the presbytery, in which Renaissance coats of arms with inscriptions were painted in later years, and according to which the vault was built in the church of St. Vita in Cesky Krumlov. The main nave of the church has a flat ceiling, in which the original beams from approximately 1445/1446 have been preserved.

After the function of the parish church was transferred to the Church of the Virgin Mary in 1785, the church gradually fell into disrepair and was not restored until 1883 on the initiative of the abbot of Strahov, Sigismund Antonín Starý.

The oldest element of the church of St. Jiljí is the so-called bell tower on the west side of the church, which has the form of a stone tower with a rectangular floor plan. In its upper part there are Romanesque windows with columns in two rows.

During the 80's of the 20th century, the church underwent renovations, thanks to which this place is now used as a mourning hall. Church of St. Jiljí in Milevsko is registered on the List of Cultural Monuments in the Písek District.

Author: Andrea Štyndlová