Chotětov: St. Prokop and Baroque Art

Chotětov’s cultural and historical character is reflected in the Church of St. Prokop, several chapels and sacred works of art. The church stands on the village square in the center of the municipality; a change in elevation shapes the appearance of the square there. The Baroque sculpture group “Coronation of the Virgin Mary” is also located near the village square. A cycling route through the Lower Jizera region leads to Husovo náměstí, adding an active travel option to the view of the area’s architectural history.

St. Prokop and the protected ensemble

The Church of St. Prokop was built around 1546 in the Gothic style on the site of an older church and remodeled in the Baroque style in 1773. Its bell tower was built in 1759–1760. This sequence makes several construction phases distinguishable: the Gothic church was followed by the construction of the tower, after which the church was remodeled in the Baroque style. The history of the place can thus be read through several different dates, rather than reducing the building to a single year of construction. St. Prokop stands on the village square in the center of the municipality, on a change in elevation that strongly shapes the appearance of the square.

The protected ensemble of the church includes the Chapel of the Holy Cross and the perimeter wall with gates, stairs and niche chapels. The niche chapel southeast of the church stands in line with the cemetery wall and is a simple rectangular brick building. Its location, shape and material give its architecture a different emphasis from the church’s history of repeated alterations. The ensemble therefore includes not only the church building, but also a perimeter wall and smaller, more precisely located structures.

Another chapel, with a spring, stands next to St. Prokop and dates from 1819. It should be distinguished from the southeastern niche chapel: the one is identified by its location next to the church and its spring, the other by its position in line with the cemetery wall. This comparison helps distinguish the two structures in the church grounds and understand their different spatial reference points.

Sculpture and Wayside Shrine

Near the village square stands the sculpture group “Coronation of the Virgin Mary,” a Baroque work from the 18th century. It is made of natural-colored sandstone and is about five meters high. Its date, material and approximate height offer specific points of reference for considering the group as an independent work of art alongside the buildings of the church complex. A connection with the Baroque design of St. Prokop is also apparent: for the church, this is reflected in its remodeling in 1773; for the sculpture group, in its classification as a work from the 18th century.

Boží muka is a polygonal brick wayside shrine dating from the late 17th century. It stands on the southern edge of Chotětov, at the crossroads of the roads to Bezno and Jizerní Vtelno. Its form and location distinguish it from the sandstone group near the village square: here, the points of reference are its polygonal shape, brickwork and position on the southern edge of the village; there, they are the sculpture group, its material and proximity to the square. Chotětov’s sacred art can thus be considered both by its form and by its location.

Cycling to Chotětov

The cycling route through the Lower Jizera region reaches Husovo náměstí in Chotětov from the Hřivno signpost via Route 8145. This provides three specific points of reference for navigation: the Hřivno signpost, the route number and the destination square. The route gives your travel plans a cycling focus, while the church, chapels and works of art offer a cultural and historical perspective on the place. You can therefore approach Chotětov from different points of interest: through its building phases and works of art, or as the destination of a described cycling route through the Lower Jizera region.

Discover more destinations: Řepov, Dlouhá Lhota, Koryta, Židněves, Bakov Nad Jizerou, Petkovy, Vinec, Kováň.

For the broader travel overview: Okres Mladá Boleslav.