Church of St. Peter and Paul in Bobrova

Church of St. Peter and Paul in Bobrova

Magnificent Baroque church built by Santini

Although the name of the architect is not mentioned anywhere in historical records, specific features of the church clearly indicate that it is the work of Jan Santini Aichl, the Czech Baroque architect. The church in Boborová is located close to the famous Green Mountain pilgrimage site in Žďár nad Sázavou, which is a listed UNESCO heritage site.  
The church was built in 1722 and came under the Abbey of the nearby town of Žďár nad Sázavou. In the surrounding towns and villages of the same Abbey, Santini built several other churches with identical features. These include in particular simple lines of exterior design, quite unusual for Baroque, with the emphasis placed on the play of light and shadow.

Santini’s approach to the project radically changed the layout of the church. The only preserved part of the original late-Romanesque construction was the main nave that was converted into the chancel with an altar. The orientation of the church was changed and a new nave was added on the eastern side. The five-sided portal is a massive Baroque structure, reminiscent of its Italian predecessors, specifically the facades constructed by the architect Borromini in Rome.