Church in Kadov
Originally an early Gothic church of St. Wenceslas from the second half of the 13th century was rebuilt in the Baroque style into a more spacious building with a tower. Valuable Baroque interiors and exteriors, including structures (vaults, roof trusses) and Gothic stone tombstones.
History
The oldest part of the church, built near the aristocratic residence, is a sacristy with a preserved cross vault from the
second half of the 13th century, which was the presbytery of the original Gothic building. Due to the later Baroque reconstruction,
during which a large part of the old church was demolished, we have no idea of its further construction development. The original
look of the church is, however, recorded on the map of the manor in Lnáře from 1698. At that time, it was a one-nave building
with a quadratic presbytery, a sanctus tower on the roof of the nave and a southern vestibule. Near the church stood a two-storey
bell tower. After the restoration of the parish, the patron of the church, Count Jan František Christian Sweerts - Sporck,
had the old church demolished and replaced it with a dignified and at the same time more spacious late Baroque building, finished
in 1765. The author of the plans is unknown, but from the commemorative file inserted after the works in the glove on the
tower, we know that the construction involved the mason master Kašpar Švankmajer, carpenter master Jiří Kaplan and blacksmith
master Jan Šolle. As we already know, the presbytery of the original church was incorporated into the new building newly
serving as a sacristy. The new church was ceremonially consecrated on September 28, 1765. The first known priest of Kadov
was Ubislav and he is mentioned in 1362, when he exchanged the local beneficium with Frenclin, priest in Vacov. The consent
to such act was given by the patron of the church, Racek of Žihobec and Vyntíř of Kadov, with his brother Jaroslav, ancestors
of the Řesanský family of Kadov, who were settled in this region until the 17th century. The coat of arms of the family
was a golden carriage wheel on a blue field. Kadov Church was not very rich in the Middle Ages. In the years 1369–1405,
it contributed only seven groschen tithes to the papal treasury. Jan Šelmberk of Kadov raised the church´s income when he
established a foundation at the church, and thanks to which masses were to be held for the salvation of his soul and the souls
of his ancestors and relatives. The newly appointed priest Petr committed to serve such masses. It is worth mentioning that
Jan Šelmberk's mass was served in the church at the beginning of the 20th century. The Vladyka family of Kadov were Catholic,
so in 1428 Zdislav of Kadov appointed the local parish the Catholic priest Blazej, who was still there probably in 1434. Among
other pastors we know Volfgang (1515), the author of several tracts against Utraquists and supporters of the Unity of Brethren;
Wenceslas (1541), who was not very popular among the parishioners or Mark Lojka. In 1567, he asked to be relocated on a more
profitable rectory in Staré Sedlo due to the poverty of the Kadov parish. However, the Archbishop did not comply with his
request and transferred him to nearby Záboří. An interesting situation occurred in connection with the Utraquist priest
Jeroným of Prague, who administered the parish of Kadov in 1587. Prague Archbishop Martin Medek declared him unacceptable
and demanded his removal from the position of patron of the church. Patron Alexandr Záborský of Brloh, whose ancestors acquired
Kadov at the end of the 15th century, however, advocated the priest, claiming that he had been properly consecrated by Medek's
predecessor Archbishop Brus and that he was popular among parishioners. Záborský of Brloh took good care of their church,
especially Ladislav, who had the church's furniture restored in 1635. At that time the spiritual administration at the church
was provided by Minorites of Horažďovice because of the lack of secular priests. The parish included Kadov, Lnářský Málkov,
Pole, Slatina, Vrbno, Mračov and in 1654 Bezděkov with Nezdřev, Zahorčičky and Hradiště were added as branch offices.
In 1660 the whole district was annexed to Záboří. The independent Kadov parish was re-established in 1756 on the initiative
of the patron Count František Karel Rudolf Sweerts - Sporck, the Lord of Lnáře, who was aware of the difficulties arising
from the administration of such a large area. The first priest was Matěj Rybička, who did not have his own parish dwelling
in Kadov and thus dwelled in the Bezděkov Chateau. Upon the restoration of the parish of Kadov, the branch church in Bezděkov
remained with the respective villages of Nezdřev, Hradiště and Zahorčičky. During the Josephine modifications of the
boundaries of the parish districts in 1786, the parish was reduced by Hradiště, which was annexed to Kasejovice and Mračov,
which was attached to the parish Záboří. In 1761 a chaplain office was established in Kadov. At present, the parish is
administered by the Dean in Blatná.
(source: text – Památkový katalog, photo – Miloš Hlávka, Wikimedia)
Map