Cathedral of St. Clement or Clementinum Catedral (Katedrála sv. Klimenta) is a Greek Catholic church in Prague, with a delightful Baroque interior, which hosts concerts of chamber classical music.
The church was built for the Jesuits between 1711 and 1715 by architect F.M. Kanka builder Anselm Lurazh. The construction of the church was carried out on the site of the Romanesque church of St. Clement, which belonged to the Dominican Order, and where the Dominicans founded a monastery in 1227, which was destroyed by the Hussites in 1420.
The church originated as a cathedral with the bull "Quo aptius" by Pope John Paul II dated March 13, 1996.
In 1931, the church was transferred to the Greek Catholic Church, in 1950-1969 it belonged to the Orthodox Church, and since 1969 it has been serving the Greek Catholic Church again, where services are held in Old Slavonic and Ukrainian.
This simple church from the outside is one of three churches that are part of the large historical complex Clementinum (Klementinum). The other two churches of Clementinum are the Chapel of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Vlas or Italian Chapel) and the Church of St. Salvator (Blessed Saviour).
The Church of St. Clement shares an entrance portico with the Chapel of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Clementinum, better known as the Italian Chapel, which was erected between 1590 and 1600 for Italian Catholics.
In the photo below, the Cathedral of St. Clemente is on the right (an inconspicuous wall) and the round part of the Italian Chapel stands out behind it. The entrance portico is curved and uniform
The interior of the Church of St. Clement is strikingly different from the inconspicuous appearance.
The interior of the church is one of the most beautiful Baroque interiors in Prague.
This is a one-nave church with six aisles, in the design of the rich decoration of which famous Baroque artists took part.
The stucco decoration was created by S. Getzler since 1715, the original frescoes by the artist I. Hibla have been preserved in separate vaulted fields and depict scenes from the life of St. Clement.
The stone statues of the fathers of the church and the four Evangelists in the niches of the walls, as well as sculptures in the side altars and on the pulpit are the work of Matthias Bernard Brown. Under the counter you can see the recognized, excellent carving also by M.B. Brown.
The main altar, painted with an illusory painting, is dominated by the image of St. Clement and St. Ignatius of Loyola. To the side of the altar is a painting by Peter Brandl depicting Saint Leonard healing the sick.
Ignaz Raab took part in the design of the painting of the temple, who created images of Jesuit saints and Czech patrons in niches and on pilasters.
Ornate benches stand out separately. The floor tiles are made of colored marble.
St. Clement's Church has excellent acoustics and concerts are held there.
Practical information
Address of St. Clement's Cathedral: Karlova 190/1, 110 00 Praha 1 - Staré Město.
Website: exarchat.cz.
All accommodation facilities in Prague (hotels, apartments, guest houses, etc.), including in the historical center of the city and more remotely from it, can be viewed and booked here
