Studna Anežský klášter

St. Agnes Convent in Prague's Old Town is a historic monastic complex from the 13th century and one of the most important examples of early Gothic architecture in the city. Named after its founder, the Bohemian princess Agnes, it was the first Franciscan double monastery north of the Alps. Construction began in 1234 under the patronage of King Wenceslas I and Pope Gregory IX. Agnes, who took monastic vows, led the community of Poor Clares as abbess from 1235 to 1237, while the neighboring monastery for the friars minor of the Franciscan order was completed in 1240. The history of the complex has had its ups and downs, including fires, looting during the Hussite Wars, and secularization under Emperor Joseph II in 1782. After long periods of decay and use as housing for the needy, the site was gradually restored and archaeologically investigated starting in 1893, during which the graves of the founder and the king were discovered, among other finds.\r\n\r\nToday the complex houses a permanent exhibition of the National Gallery Prague devoted to the medieval sacred art of Bohemia and Central Europe. As part of the exhibition, you can admire important works of art, including a late Romanesque statue of the Virgin Mary from Moravia, Gothic sculptures, winged altarpieces, and panel paintings. Highlights include the panel painting cycle by the Master of Vyšší Brod, works by the court painter Master Theodoric of Prague, and the Madonna of Roudnice. The exhibition is rounded off by paintings by Lucas Cranach the Elder and a bust of St. Adalbert.\r\n\r\nArchitecturally, the original complex has preserved the chapter house with its early Gothic timber ceiling, the refectory, and a cloister. The Church of St. Francis is considered the oldest Gothic building in Prague; here you'll find the choir with the tomb of King Wenceslas I as well as the presbytery with a pentagonal apse. A concert hall now stands on the site of the former double nave. Other buildings worth seeing include the Church of St. Salvator with the Chapel of the Virgin Mary, where Agnes was laid to rest, and the cloister around the Paradise Court. The intricately decorated capital reliefs and the fan vaulting of the presbytery testify to the high quality of medieval craftsmanship, which was carefully restored during the reconstruction work that lasted until 1986.