The Church of St. Salvator or the Church of the Blessed Saviour (Kostel Nejsvětějšího Salvátora) is a church in Prague, which is considered one of the most valuable architectural monuments of the early Baroque in the city.
The Church of St. Salvator is one of three churches that are part of a large historical complex Clementinum (Klementinum). The other two churches of Clementinum: St. Clement's Cathedral and the Chapel of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Vlash or Italian Chapel).
The Church of St. Salvator is located in the historical center of Prague. The facade of the church faces the Crusader Square (Křižovnické náměstí), directly opposite the famous Charles Bridge (Karlów most), spanning the Vltava River.
The church is located on the site of a former Dominican monastery with the church of St. Clement, which the Hussites burned during the Hussite assaults.
With the arrival of the Jesuits in Prague in 1556, active construction of new buildings began, which were subsequently demolished, and a large Jesuit complex, now known as the Clementinum, was erected in their place.
The construction of the Church of St. Salvator was carried out on the foundation of the Gothic church of St. Clement, in several stages in the period from 1578 to 1714. The church was consecrated in August 1602. After its construction, the church served as the main Jesuit church in Bohemia, and today belongs to the Roman Catholic Church.
Famous masters and artists of that time took part in the construction and decoration of the shrine. Initially, it was mainly the builders Carlo Lurago and Francesco Caratti. The colonnade in front of the stucco entrance was created by Giovanni Bartolomeo Cometa.
The portico gallery and pediment are decorated with 14 large life-size sandstone statues: the fathers of the church on the balustrade (St. Clement, Basil the Great, St. Augustine, Gregory, Ambrose and Jerome), the holy orders on the side wings of the shield (Ignatius Loyola and Francis Xavier), the Virgin Mary in a niche in the middle of the shield, four Evangelists above the tympanum (Saints Luke, John, Mark and Matthew) and Christ in the uppermost part of the facade, are the work of Jan Jiri Bendl 1655-1660. The statues of Christ the Savior and the Evangelists, as well as the statue of St. Augustine and the Angel were replaced in 1999 with copies of the work of Peter Vanya, and the originals are kept in the Lapidarium The National Museum of Prague.
The interior of the Church of St. Salvator in the early Baroque style is distinguished by a rich stucco decoration.
The statues in the church are the work of sculptor J. J. Bendle. The statues of the 12 Apostles in the early Baroque style especially attract attention.
On the main altar you can see the image of the Transfiguration of the Lord by Jan Jiri Goering in 1632.
In the underground crypt there is a burial ground of members of the Jesuit Order, among them the defender of the Czech language Bohuslav Balbin.
In addition to divine services, concerts are held in the walls of the church, and there is a library fund.
Practical information
The church is always open to visitors half an hour before the services. Individual visits are possible by agreement.
The website of the Church of St. Salvator: farnostsalvator.cz .
The address of the Church of St. Salvator: Křižovnické náměstí 1040/4, 110 00 Praha 1.
Coordinates of the Church of St. Salvator: 50°05'10.3"N 14°24'54.3"E (50.086194, 14.415083).
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