Sacred Structures in the Landscape: The Case of Rural Czechia

Abstract

This paper examines the development of sacred structures in rural Czechia (former Czechoslovakia). Sacred structures could be associated with the creation of important symbols and distinctive rural regional identities in Czechia. Rural Czechia is not uniform: it represents several different rural landscapes. This paper considers whether sacred structures support the idea of multiple and fundamentally different rural areas existing in Czechia. In rural areas and small municipalities, sacred structures often present the only significant culture feature for a tourist. This research found that most residents of Czechia's rural areas identify with sacred structures, in spite of the fact that representatives of local government often perceive such items as cultural–historical symbols in the landscape rather than religious structures. Five types of rural, religious landscapes were identified, supporting the idea that multiple types of rural areas exist in Czechia.

Keywords:

• sacred structures
• rural Czechia
• religious landscape
• cultural landscape
• regional identity

Acknowledgements

The research was funded by the Grant Agency of Czech Republic (project number P410/12/G113), and by Grant Agency of Charles University (project number 165110). The authors thank the sponsors for providing their financial support.

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