Historic Town Conservation Area of Kaplice

The first written mention of Kaplice dates back to 1257. The town developed at an important trade crossroads, and this advantageous location influenced its further growth. Throughout its rich history, Kaplice changed its rulers several times. It belonged to the Bavors of Strakonice, the Lords of Pořešín, the Rožmberks, the Švamberks, and after the Battle of White Mountain, it passed under the rule of the Buquoys. It’s no wonder that the town contains several valuable buildings from different architectural periods. Thanks to this concentration of historically valuable buildings, the historic center of Kaplice was declared a town conservation area in 1990.

The oldest landmarks of Kaplice are two churches located to the east of the square. The Church of St. Florian is a single-nave church with Baroque furnishings. Its present form dates back to the early 16th century. Originally, there was probably a Romanesque chapel here. The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul is documented as far back as 1383. An interesting fact is that these two churches are adjacent to each other, which is highly unusual for a town the size of Kaplice and has led to various speculations and hypotheses.

The center of Kaplice is the square with the Renaissance town hall. On the square, one should also take note of the stone fountain (1646) with a column that used to hold a pillory, house No. 215 with figurative sgraffito, and house No. 206 with a stone portal. This house was originally a brewery. It later served as a theater, and currently, its cellar spaces house the Krampus Gallery, with an exhibition of demonic masks and costumes.