The Convent of St. Agnes

The convent from the 13th century is the oldest Gothic building in the country. It houses the National Gallery's collections of medieval art.

The Convent of St. Agnes is considered the oldest Gothic building in the Czech Republic. It was founded by Wenceslas I and his sister Agnes of Bohemia in the 1230s. She brought to it the Order of Saint Clare from Italy (the female branch of the Franciscan Order) and became the abbess of the new convent. Agnes also established the only Czech religious order – the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star. In 1989 Agnes of Bohemia was canonised.

The Convent of St. Agnes is a complex of two buildings, the female monastery of the Poor Clares and the male monastery of the Order of Friars Minor. In it we can find the torso of the original Church of St. Francis, whose vault collapsed in the past. The torso was completed and sheltered in the modern era, and today contains the Josef Mánes Concert Hall. It is worth mentioning that in the southern wall of the side nave of the church is the oldest Gothic window in Prague and in Central Europe. The buildings of the male monastery with a second cloister to the south of this church are preserved only in the foundations.

The convent buildings are built of brick and include a cloister (a covered corridor), the Capitular Hall, a dormitory, the refectory, kitchen and scriptorium. Agnes's private chapel and her dwelling were located together with the chapel of the Virgin Mary in the northern wall of the presbytery.

The most important part of the monastery is the Church of St. Salvator (Christ the Redeemer), which stands out for its architectural quality and significance. It is linked with the chapel of the Virgin Mary. The church contains the mausoleum of the Přemyslids and the crypt where King Wenceslas I, Queen Kunigunde and the daughter of King Wenceslas II are buried. The location of the Agnes's grave, however, is unknown. Inside the church the capitals of the columns contain friezes depicting the heads of five contemporary rulers and their wives. The monastery includes gardens, which are open to visitors. The architect of the church is a French master of unknown name.

In its day the monastery built by Agnes of Bohemia was an example of the most spectacular and most modern architecture, as its founder was the royal family, ensuring that sufficient funds and political influence were available.

The Convent of St. Agnes is managed by the National Gallery and houses an exhibition of medieval art in Bohemia and Central Europe. Here we can find the work of the Master of Vyšší Brod, Master Theodorik or the Master of the Litoměřice Altarpiece. German and Austrian art is represented for example by Lucas Cranach. Since 1978, the monastery is a national cultural monument.