Church Ceremonies
THE BŘEVNOV MONASTERY - CHURCH OF ST MARGARET (Catholic Church)
The Břevnov Monastery, founded by St. Vojtěch and Duke Boleslav II in 993, is the oldest monastery in the Czech lands. The medieval character of this Benedict abbey was entirely suppressed by later modifications made between 1709 and 1720 under the direction of experienced architects of that time-Kryštof and Kilián Ignác Dienzenhofer. The interiors have preserved a number of baroque- and classicism-style halls, including the notable Teresian Hall with its magnificent ceiling frescos. The church of St Margaret was built by Kryštof Dientzenhofer between 1709 and 1716. We enter through southern entrance, at the threshold of which there is a marble memorial plaque with significant dates from the history of the monastery. The plaque also displays the personal initials of the abbot Otmar, who ordered its mounting at the completion of the structure of the church in 1715.
VYŠEHRAD - CHURCH OF ST PETR AND PAUL (Catholic Church)
Ancient legends situate the original seat of the Czech princes - the legendary Princess Libuse and the first Przemyslides - on the hill. In fact, however, this fort had not been founded until the Prague Castle was already in existence, since it dates back to the mid-10th century. In the latter half of the 11th and in the 12th century Vysehrad used to be the Przemyslides princes' main residence which brought about a generous building activity within its walls. Among noteworthy sight there are the precious romanesque rotunda of St. Martin, the gothic church of St. Peter and Paul (in the late 19th century rebuilt in the neogothic style), the Vysehrad cemetery used as a burial site of the Czech outstanding personalilties since 1869 with a collective tomb called Slavin, the underground casemates housing the originals of several baroque statues from the Charles Bridge. The Vysehrad site is open the whole day.
CHURCH OF ST THOMAS (Catholic Church)
The Augustinian monastery was founded by King Wenceslas II in 1285. The monastery buildings were built together with St. Thomas church in 1285-1379. In the adjacent area belonging to the monastery burgher houses were built, forming the St. Thomas jurisdiction. The Gothic monastery buildings that were reduced to ashes several times, were rebuilt by Domenico de Bossi between 1694 and 1634. They were adapted to their present appearance in the late 17th century by Jan de Capauli. The church, as a part of the Augustinian monastery, was built in the place of the former early Gothic St. Thomas church and St. Dorothea chapel belonging to the Břevnov Monastery. Their remnants have been preserved in the walls of the present presbytery.
A Gothic basilica preserved under the baroque adaptations was built in two stages, in 1285-1316 and then just before 1379. In the late 16th century and early 17th century the church was repaired and partly rebuilt in the renaissance style by B. de Alberto, O.Avostalis and J. Campion de Bossi. The main renaissance porch dates back to these times (1617). During the reign of the Emperor Rudolf II at the turn of the 17th century, the church became a court church and cemetery for important persons. The present high baroque appearance of the church building with its massive front and dome is the result of its rebuilding between 1727 and 1731 designed by K.I. Dienzenhofer. Inside the church, there are ceiling frescos by V.V.Reiner, statues by F.M.Brokoff, paintings by P.P. Rubens and works of other important artists.
CHURCH OF ST NICHOLAS (Protestant Church)
The Church of St. Nicholas is one of the oldest churches in the Old Town area of Prague. It is mentioned in sources as early as 1273. It was originally a parish church and had a long tradition as a centre of preaching, with Milíč of Kroměříž, Matěj of Janov, and other representatives of Hussitism and the Reformation all preaching here. In 1635 the church came inot the possession of Benedictines from the monastery of Emauzy na Slovanech, who started to build a monastery here. The construction of the monastery lasted form 1727 to 1730, and when it was completed work was started on a new church, which was finally completed in 1735. Since 1920 the church has been used by Czechoslovak Hussite Church, the establishment of which was publicly proclaimed in this place in January of that year. Concerts of Renaissance, baroque, and classical music are held in the church of St. Nicholas throughout most of the year.
CHURCH OF JOHN BAPTIST AT THE LAUNDRY (Prostestant Church)
The church is one of the oldest ones in Prague. Its Romanesque foundations are dated around 1240, but the church was probably established even earlier. The building itself has always been plain. It had not been rebuilt or extended even after the Hussite wars in the first half of the 15th century, when the church was damaged. When local hospital of Malá Strana was moved to the area belonging to the church in the 17th century, the church itself was renovated. The early baroque arcade building of the hospital forms together with the church a unique composition. Significant but delicate baroque changes were made in the first half of the 18th century - chapel with oratory in the northern part of church and ne shapes of windows in the opposite wall and in the western facade. The quality and style shows that the author could be Kilian Ignac Dientzenhofer, who was very active in the area.
Both the church and the hospital were abolished in 1784. The hospital buildings were used as residential houses and the church as laundry (hence the name sv. Jana "Na prádle" - St. John "At the Laundry"). After the renovation in 1939, the church was given to the use of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church. The church was renovated again in the summer of 2002. Shortly after the reconstruction it was strongly damaged by flood in August 2002 and had to be renovatd again. The statue in the front of the church symbolizes St. Jan Nepomucký. It is work of Michal Josef Brokoff from 1715. In the interior we can find a few paintings and sculptures from František Bílek (1872 - 1941).
CHURCH ST CYRIL AND METHODIUS (Orthodox Cathedral)
The baroque church, originally devoted to St. Charles Borromeo, was built between 1730 and 1736 according to K.I. Dienzenhofer’s and Pavel Ignác Bayer’s project as a part of a home for elderly priests which was closed down in 1738 and turned into barracks and a storehouse. The interior frescoes by Karel Schöpf depict scenes from the legend of St. Charles, the stuccoes are by Michal Ignác Palliardi. The original onion-shaped roof of the tower was brought down in 1883. In 1866 the buildings were purchased by the Technical College. From 1934 to 1935 the church was adapted for liturgical purposes of the Orthodox Church and on 29th September 1935 it was dedicated to Sts. Cyril and Methodius and became the seat of the Orthodox bishop Gorazd. In the crypt of the church, the parachutists Adolf Opálka, Josef Bublík, Jan Hrubý, Jaroslav Švarc, Josef Valčík, Jozef Gabčík and Jan Kubiš hid in June 1942. Jozef Gabčík and Jan Kubiš assassinated the protector of the Reich, R. Heydrich on 27th May 1942. The parachutists hid there till 18th June when their hiding place was betrayed and all of them died there. On the wall of the crypt there is a bronze plaque with their names and the reliefs of their patrons by F. Bělský from 1947.
The Orthodox Church was banned in September 1942 and Bishop Gorazd was executed together with other priests of the Orthodox Church. After the war, the church was repaired in 1945-1947 and the crypt was opened to the public. In 1951 the Orthodox Church gained legal church autonomy and also became a metropolitan church.
The present iconostas was created according to prof. Brandt’s design by the artist Vukovič. A National Memorial to the victims of Heydrichiad was opened in Sts. Cyril and Methodius church on 28th September 1995.
