Kostel svatého Mikuláše (Kozojedy) Church

The Church of Saint Nicholas in Kozojedech was built as a Gothic structure in the second half of the 14th century. Historical records confirm that it already stood before 1363. It acquired its present form at the beginning of the 18th century during an extensive Baroque reconstruction, which is attributed to Jan Blažej Santini-Aichel.

In the Middle Ages, the church was maintained by local priests together with noble patrons. In the 14th and 15th centuries, this role was held by the lords of Švihov and the lords of Kolovrat. At the beginning of the 16th century, Kozojedech along with the Krašov estate fell to the Svitáks of Landštejn, and later to the knightly family of the Hrobčickýs of Hrobčic, who took considerable interest in the local church.

A turning point came in 1678. The entire Krašov estate was then purchased by Cistercian monks from the nearby monastery in Plasy, and their friars subsequently served regularly as priests in Kozojedech. Soon afterward, however, the parsonage burned down and the village had to be temporarily joined to the parish in Kralovice. Independent spiritual administration was restored in 1694, and the Church of Saint Prokop in Všehrdy was also added to the parish at that time.

The reconstruction was overseen by Abbot Evžen Tyttl of Plasy. He studied architecture carefully, and at the beginning of the 18th century he worked closely with Santini, one of the most significant architects of Czech Baroque. Alongside major structures such as the convent in Plasy, they also focused on parish churches. A typical intervention involved a new façade and tower, which was also the case in Kozojedech.

Due to lack of funds, construction did not begin until 1724 to 1727, shortly after Santini's death. His authorship is documented only indirectly, and the church was apparently adapted according to his earlier plans. The construction was led by local builder Matěj Ondřej Kondel, originally a subject of the monastery. He also oversaw other Santini structures in the area, as the architect was extremely busy and did not have his own workshop. Kondel remained influenced by Santini's work throughout his life and later designed buildings himself with a distinctly Santinian character.

After the Plasy monastery was dissolved in 1785, the parsonage temporarily acquired imperial patronage. In 1825, Prince Clement Václav Lotar Metternich purchased the former monastic estates, and patronage passed to him. Today the church belongs to the Roman Catholic parish of Kralovice in the Pilsen diocese.