Mala Stupartska
Subway: Mustek, Namesti Republiku
Tel. 2248 28 816
Open: 9:30am- 12pm, 2-4 pm Mon- Sat
Service: 6:45 am Mon- Fri, 5 pm Wed- Fri, 8 am Sat, 8:30am, 10:30am Sun
Church of Saint James is a Roman Catholic Church that once was part of a Minorite monastery, part of the Franciscan order. This religious order was invited to Prague by King Wenceslas I in 1232. However in 1689 original Gothic presbytery was destroyed by fire that some claim was in fact an arson ordered by King Louis XIV of France. It also contains the tomb of Count Vratislav of Mitrovice (18th century), one of the most beautiful Baroque tombs in Prague. Local legends claim that count was buried alive. His body is said to be found sitting during one of the reconstruction projects. Another notable feature of Church of Saint James is a mummified forearm that is over 400 years old. It is believed that this arm belonged to a thief who tried to steal jewels from the altar. Sculpture of Madonna is said to have grabbed thief's arm and didn't let him go until he was discovered by church guards. They couldn't remove man's arm so they had to chop it off. It is said that the hand was hanged at the entrance of Church of Saint James ever since.
The oldest building
On the basis of numerous evidences, we can
assume with a great deal of certainty the presence of buildings on the
site of the current monastery as early as the end of the 12th century.
The most common considerations speak of a small courtyard with a church.
The establishment of this small church was probably related to the
acquisition of the relics of St. Jakub Přemysl Otakar I. We do not know
the exact location of this building, nor its shape.
Background of
the establishment of the monastery
During the reign of the Czech king
Wenceslas I, a new wave of piety hit Prague, sweeping across Christian
Europe. The ongoing Crusades did not only bring new discoveries, but
also contributed to the popularization and knowledge of the life of
Jesus. At the same time, the formation of a new medieval social class -
the bourgeoisie - was taking place. Some newly formed church orders, the
so-called mendicants (mendicant orders), took refuge in the cities.
Their monasteries were no longer enclaves in an unpopulated environment.
They could fully rely on the donations of the nobility and rich
townspeople. Mendicant orders entered the Czech environment for the
first time due to the contribution of St. Agnes, who founds the Convent
of the Poor Clares on Františka. With the Poor Clares, modern European
culture penetrates Prague as well - including, for example, Gothic
architecture.
The beginnings of Přemyslovsk
Following the
example of St. Agnes is summoned by her brother, the Czech king Václav
I, to Prague, another order of mendicants - lesser brothers
(minorities). Wenceslas' affection for minorities is evidenced by the
location and dimensions of the planned construction of their monastery.
The monastery was located at an important crossroads. It was located
very close to Prague's main market square (present-day Old Town Square),
a few steps to the east stood the court of foreign buyers (ungelt), a
little further north the butchers' guild settled and built meat shops
(demolished in the 19th century, today Masná Street). The importance of
the location is also evidenced by the fact that Jan Lucemburský also set
up his headquarters in Štupartská Street. The foundation stone was laid
in 1232, while the older Přemysl church of St. Jakub. The consecration
of the new monastery church was preserved. In 1244 the monastery was
completed. It was located north of the current building. Valuable early
Gothic ribbed vaults from this period have been preserved to this day in
the basements of the building of the secondary industrial school of
communication technology. The monastery is mentioned in the Zbraslav
Chronicle, which states that on February 7, 1311, a feast was held in
the monastery's refectory in honor of the coronation of the Czech king
John of Luxembourg.
Luxembourgers
In 1316, the monastery
suffered a devastating fire. Jan Luxemburgský and his wife Eliška
Přemyslovna took care of the restoration. Due to the background of their
arrival, connected with the royal profession, the minorities in Bohemia
enjoyed great popularity among the aristocracy from the beginning. In
the medieval environment, when life after death played a crucial role,
the nobility built tombs for themselves, sometimes even resided in
monasteries and generously sponsored them. Therefore, the plans for the
new Luxembourg monastery were much grander than the Minorites imagine. A
large elongated three-nave basilica layout was proposed with the convent
adjoining on the north side. The three towers, atypical for minorities,
are the merit of the consecration – the monastery became a pilgrimage
stop on the Way of St. James to Santiago de Compostela. The towers were
intended to facilitate orientation for pilgrims. In 1323, the chapel of
St. Anne, in 1330 the northern and southern parts of the cloister. The
western and eastern parts of the cloister were built at the latest, as
well as the majestic church, which was deviated from its axis during
construction for unknown reasons. He was ordained only in 1374 by Jan
Oček from Vlašimi. After completion, it became one of the largest and
highest churches in Prague, together with the Cathedral of St. Welcome
to the Church of Our Lady of the Snows under construction. In 1378, the
Roman Emperor and Czech King Charles IV died. and the church was one of
several where his body was displayed before burial.
Baroque
During the Hussite Wars, the church remained largely undamaged due to
its proximity to the butchers' guild, which defended the monastery.
However, it still failed and had to be restored. These works were
entrusted to the court architect Ulric Aostalli. Under Rudolph II. the
church was newly decorated, 15 altars were added and the walls of the
main nave were decorated with coats of arms (analogy in the choir of St.
Vitus Cathedral). In 1603, the conductor of Rudolph's imperial band,
Philippe de Monte, was buried here. Before long, however, the monastery
had to face another danger - the invasion of the Passaus in 1611. This
time, too, the monastery was saved by the butchers. After the battle on
Bílá hora, order theological studies were introduced in the monastery in
1622, later the college of St. Bonaventures for about 12 students of
Charles University. Church of St. Jakuba served as the venue for
graduation ceremonies. In 1689, Europe was facing a political crisis.
The rivalry of the monarchs in the fight for the Spanish throne was
responsible for numerous arsons in many European cities. One of the
fires, started by the pro-French party, engulfed the monastery. The
vault collapsed, the refectory and the southern and eastern parts of the
cloister burned. The restoration was offered to the leading
fortification architect Jan Šimon Pánek, who completed the restoration
within 12 years. Panek respected and preserved the original disposition
of the church. However, he shortened the choir and thus compensated for
its deviation, which was unimaginable for Baroque symmetry. The ceiling
was lowered and vaulted with a barrel vault with lunettes. Tribunes were
placed above the side aisles. The decoration of the church was signed by
a number of important Baroque masters, making it a treasury of Baroque
art.
Modern Age
In 1784, the monastery was abolished as part
of the Josephine reforms, but the monks continued to live there. In
1841, the northern part burned down and was sold to the first industrial
secondary school in Bohemia, which rebuilt the building in a classicist
style. In 1869, the first kindergarten in the Czech lands was
established in the refectory[2]. Minority activity was revived in the
20th century. In 1941, an extensive reconstruction took place. In 1974,
the church was granted the honorary title of basilica minor by Pope Paul
VI. This was also due to the rich cultural use of the church, which is
endowed with a large four-manual organ from 1705.
Template and layout
Today's form of the church has survived
without significant changes from the reconstruction in the 17th century.
The only remaining Gothic feature is the eastern clock tower. The
overall layout refers to the Jesuit churches of Il Gesú in Rome and St.
Ignáce in the New Town, the only exception is the elongated choir, which
remained from the original building, albeit shortened by a few meters.
Adjacent to the church on the north side is the convent of the monastery
and the Gothic sacristy with four bays of a cross vault.
Front
The facade of the church is in the classicizing Baroque style with one
tower on the south side. The north tower was not restored after the fire
of 1689. The facade of the attic is decorated with statues of St.
Jachyma, St. Anne, Virgin Mary and St. Jana, there is a statue of
Salvátor on the shield. The austere facade is dominated by huge stuccoes
of St. Francis, St. Jacob and St. Antonín Paduánský by O. Most from the
years 1695 – 1701, which add a Spanish touch to the church.
Three
ships
The temple space consists of a simple basilica with tribunes.
The interior is literally overwhelmed with furniture, including 22
altars. The second largest collection of altarpieces by Peter Brandl is
located here. The hanging pulpit, supported by the massive body of a
lion, is also interesting. Highlights include a plaque set into the wall
in the north aisle above the entrance to the cloister, which dates from
1615 and bears a warning from the butchers that anyone who threatens the
church will be cut to pieces. During the repairs, small Gothic elements
and parts of masonry were revealed in some places of the nave.
Arch
The current baroque vault is barrel-vaulted, with lunettes. On
the individual fields of the vault, there are frescoes by the Kadaň
painter František Voget from 1736, depicting scenes from the life of the
Virgin Mary, and in the choir the celebration of the Holy Trinity. The
original Gothic arch was 5 m higher. The choir is separated from the
main nave by a triumphal arch with stucco decoration and the emblem of
the lesser brothers, which depicts the crossed bleeding hands of Christ
and St. Francis.
Chorus
The choir is finished by a wall with a
huge frame, carried by angels by the carver M. Schönherr. In it, the
main altarpiece is the Passion of St. Jakub by V. V. Reiner. Under the
main altar is a classicist altarpiece by I.M. Platzer. It contains a
rare statuette of the Pietà from 1500, which was saved in a fire in
1689. Behind the current choir are the remains of a polygonally finished
medieval choir with the remains of a vault from the Luxembourg period.
Tombstone of Václav Vratislav from Mitrovic
At the end of the
northern aisle is the tombstone of Jan Václav Vratislav of Mitrovic, the
supreme chancellor of the Kingdom of Bohemia, an excellent work by
Ferdinand Brokoff according to the conceptual concept of G. Herae and
the architectural design of J. B. Fischer of Erlach, a work of European
importance from 1714-16. The sandstone tombstone is covered with white
and brown marble paint. On the tombstone rests a statue of the deceased
in armor with a Maltese cross supported by an allegory of Glory with a
wreath of Immortality in hand. Above them hovers an angel with a
trumpet, writing down the deeds of the deceased on the plate of the
pyramidal attachment. On the left corner sits the weeping allegory of
Sorrow (sometimes also shown as Science) and on the right the god
Chronos with an hourglass, missing his scythe and the dedication
inscription from 1715.
Organ
The original organ cabinet from
1705 is the work of the famous Czech organist Abraham Stark from Lokte.
Over the centuries, the organ has undergone many changes. In 1754, the
first reconstruction took place, which was carried out by the organist
from Kraków, František Katzer. In 1906, the organ was modified by the
Prague organ firm Josef Černý and Josef Rejna. Another intervention took
place in 1941. According to the design of Bedřich Antonín Wiedermann,
the organ was adapted for modern compositions. The last extensive
reconstruction was carried out in 1981-82 by the Krnov Organ Plant. In
the new register arrangement, all of Stark's original voices have been
restored, for the most part with the original pipes, and numerous
interesting romantic colors have been retained. The current instrument
has 4 manuals, 91 sounding registers and 8,277 pipes. The last repair of
the organ was completed in the summer of 2011. It is the largest organ
in Prague and the second largest in the Czech Republic.
Convention
From the street, the entrance to the cloister is decorated
with a valuable door from 1665 with carvings of St. Francis and St.
Antonina. The southern and western parts of the cloister were created
after the Baroque reconstruction. The western part is a unique two-nave
space vaulted with cross vaults. This atypical layout, similar to a
sumptuous entrance hall, suggests that the monastery also served as a
royal or noble residence. In the past, this space was opened to the
street by arcades. Archaeological research proved that the east side of
the cloister had the same layout before the fire in 1689. In the east,
it adjoins the cloister of the chapel of St. Anne, originally Gothic,
rebuilt in Baroque style and decorated with frescoes by F. Voget. To the
north is the baroque winter refectory, also with frescoes by F. Voget
depicting the life of St. Francis. Above it is the summer refectory with
another cycle of frescoes by V. Fogeta. The northern part of the
convent, containing the remains of early Gothic vaults, was rebuilt in
classicism and has been used for educational activities since 1841.
There is a well in the Garden of Eden. In the Middle Ages, it was a
so-called dry well that never froze.
About the thief
Several old legends are connected to the church.
One is about a thief who stayed inside after the service and started
stealing merrily at night. However, when he reached for the wooden
statue of the Virgin Mary, she grabbed his hand. She gripped him so
tightly that the thief could not free himself and had to wait all night
before the surprised priest came. However, the thief still couldn't
move, so the only option was to cut off his hand. It was decided to hang
it at the entrance to the church to remind everyone of one of the Ten
Commandments. The thief repented of his act and his hand hangs in the
church to this day.
About the painter
Another legend is
attached to the main altarpiece. It tells about a painter from the
workshop of V. V. Reiner, who was in charge of the figure of the Virgin
Mary. Every day he prayed to her that he would not be affected by the
plague that was raging in the city. And he was indeed spared. His wife
and children had already passed away, but he continued to work. However,
the moment he finished the painting, he fell dead to the ground and his
soul moved immediately to heaven.
About Chancellor Václav of
Mitrovic
Chancellor Václav of Mitrovic had a dream in which he was
buried alive. A few years later, at his funeral, they placed him in a
wooden coffin, buried him, and placed a marble slab in its place. A few
days later, local people started hearing some strange noises in the
cemetery. They came from the grave of Václav of Mitrovic. Out of fear,
people started pouring holy water on the grave, and after a few days the
sounds really stopped. However, during the burial of Václav's son, the
local monks found something terrible. The wooden coffin was broken and
the body of Václav from Mitrovic was trapped in it in a convulsive
position. He pounded in vain on the massive marble slab…
The
Foglar mystery
The "legend" is also part of the book The Mystery of
the Puzzle by Jaroslav Foglar - it talks about the mysterious boy Jan
Tleskač, who was a bell ringer in this church and died here under
mysterious circumstances - the Fast Arrows follow his footsteps and find
themselves at the bell tower , and in the labyrinth of underground
passages, where, according to the author, monks from the 18th and 19th
centuries are probably buried. At the same time, however, fans of
Foglar's books admit that it could have been a different church, and
that the author deliberately wanted to confuse the reader.
Attractions
The 30th chapel of the Holy Way from Prague to Stará
Boleslav, which was founded in the years 1674 – 1690, was dedicated to
the Pieta Svatojakubská. The donor of the chapel was František Oldřich
Kinský, president of appeals.
List of artists involved in the
construction and decoration of the church
A. Bolla
Abraham Stark
of Elkte
F. Geiger
Ferdinand Maximilian Brokoff
Francis Voget
Hans von Aachen
Ignác František Platzer
I.M. Platzer
Johann
Bernhard Fischer
Jan Jiří Heinsch
J. J. Schlansowsky
Jan
Kryštof Liška
J. Š. Pánek
K. Schartzmann
M. Halbax
M.
Nonnenmacher
M. Schönherr
Ottavio Mosto
Petr Brandl
P. Keck
R. J. Prachner
Václav Vavřinec Reiner