Church of the Holy Trinity, Zahořany u Křešic

One of the earliest baroque structures in Bohemia, the church of the Holy Trinity at Zahořany near Křešice was built between 1653 and 1657 by Bernardo Spineta from nearby Litoměřice, according to a plan by Carlo Lurago or one of his circle.  The separate bell-tower was added in 1757.

The church was commissioned by Jan de la Crone, a marshall of the Imperial forces during the Thirty Years’ War. According to local tradition, the noisy crowing of a cockerel had alerted the marshall to the presence of opposition Swedish forces crossing the Elbe under cover of darkness in the valley below.  After successfully defending the position, the marshall ordered that the church be constructed in thanksgiving.

During the nineteenth century, large vertical cracks began to appear in the truncated nave of the church, and the subsequent century witnessed continued damage to the interior stucco and exterior plaster and stonework. In a state of dilapidation for many years, the church is currently undergoing a major restoration.