Monumental Exhibition to Mark 800th Anniversary of Saint Agnes of Bohemia - Prague

An exhibition entitled Saint Agnes of Bohemia – Princess and Nun will open at the end of November in the Convent of Saint Agnes of Bohemia. 

 Visitors to the exhibition will learn about St. Agnes, one of the greatest Czech personalities, who contributed to the foundation of the first network of social services in Bohemia.

The exhibition will show liturgical objects, documents and period works of art with the theme of St. Agnes. The most precious exhibit will be an original head of a column with the very first representation of this prominent Czech saint.


The exhibition is organized as part of the 800th anniversary of the birth of St. Agnes by Prague Archbishopric and the National Gallery. The opening will be symbolically held on 25th November, i.e. only 22 years after Agnes was canonized. “Agnes waited for a long time for her beatification and canonization. There are not many materials linked to her life, that is why it is difficult to tell the story of her life. Still, our team collected a number of valuable historical sources and works of art, which will interest our visitors,” says the exhibition’s co-author Vladimír Kelnar.

First Portrait

As part of the exhibition, there will be an art workshop Agnes Takes Off her Royal Robe. Author: A. de Rhoden

The gem of the exhibition will certainly be the head of a column with a portrayal of St. Agnes, which comes from the Sanctuary of Salvátor,  the burial site of the Přemysl Family, located in St. Agnes’s Convent. The fact that it actually is a representation of St. Agnes had not been known for a long time.The discovery was made by the author of the exhibition Helena Soukupová, who found out that statues in other convents and monasteries portraying their founders were located in the same place as the head of the column with St. Agnes.

“Agnes was a notable medieval personality who made great contributions in the area of charitable care and in art. She also had good knowledge about the cultural and social life in the world. Perhaps this is why she decided to found the convent in Na Františku, where as the first abbess she helped people in need. She lived there for almost 50 years until her death,” explains Helena Soukupová.

Restoration of gilding

At present, the original of the head of the column is being restored by Jitka Malovaná. “We found out that the head was originally gilded with golden strips, which we will gradually uncover, as in the past the head was treated in an inconsiderate way,” explained Jitka Malovaná. Another of the exhibition’s attractions will be the original altar from the sanctuary by Mikuláš Puchner from the end of the 15th century. Furthermore, the exhibition will present many paintings and texts illustrating the life of one of the greatest Czech women saints.

View the Virtual Tour

http://www.360globe.net/czech-republic/prague/old-town/national-gallery-in-prague-convent-of-st-agnes-of-bohemia/exhibition.html

GPS : 50°5'32.28144"N, 14°25'27.84108"E

For more information click here.

Restorer Jitka Malovaná dusts the column head with the portrayal of St. Agnes.Photo: Vojtěch Kolář

Sv. Anežka Česká, patronka plynařů, 13. listopadu 

Sv. Anežka se narodila v roce 1205 jako dcera českého krále Přemysla Otakara I.. Odmítla nabídku k sňatku s císařem Fridrichem II. S pomocí svého bratra Václava I. založila v Praze první klášter františkánů a klášter klarisek, do něhož v roce 1234 sama vstoupila a stala se jeho představenou. Založila též špitální bratrstvo, z něhož se později stal řád křížovníků s červenou hvězdou, jediný řád založený v naší vlasti. Zprostředkovala usmíření krále Václava I. - svého bratra - s jeho synem Přemyslem Otakarem II. Zemřela 2. března 1282 ve svém klášteře Na Františku. Za blahoslavenou byla prohlášena v roce 1874. Svatořečil ji Jan Pavel II. v Římě 12.listopadu nezapomenutelného roku 1989. Její svátek byl dán o do kalendáře o den později, protože 12. listopad už byl obsazen. Brzy poté se stala patronkou plynařů, protože při budování kláštera pro sestry tam zavedla teplovzdušné kanály. Věděla, že u nás by sestry v zimě bez topení v klášteře nevydržely. Potažmo ji můžeme považovat za patronku všech instalatérů. 



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