Military Church of St. John of Nepomuk

I only got to see the outside, due to Rona we weren't Able to enter. But next time I will capture the inside.

On Kanovnická in the Castle District, a vintage “tourist car” zooms past me on the corner near the Military Church of St John of Nepomuk. Now, St John of Nepomuk is a pretty famed saint in Prague, his statue on Charles Bridge graced plenty of postcards but what on earth is a military church? Turns out, it means that the church serves the military garrison in the city. Today the parish is open to the public and not just the military. Good thing I didn’t had to remember the Czech name of this church, which for my future reference is: Vojenský kostel sv. Jana Nepomuckého. 😳

It is a beautiful place full of peace and quiet.

An inconspicuous church in the immediate vicinity of Prague Castle. It is really a military church, the priests are also soldiers of the ACR.

Not every tourist knows about the existence of the street Canovnitskoy, which goes to Hradcany Square. Meanwhile, it is on it, a few minutes walk from the square, that the Catholic Church of St. John of Nepomuk is located, the construction of which was carried out at the request of the sisters of the Order of St. Ursula. The first stone of the baroque church was laid on October 20, 1720. At first the architect Christopher Dincenhofer was involved in the construction of the church. After the death of Dienzenhofer in 1722, his son Kilian Ignaz continued the work of his father, for whom the construction of this temple was the first major project. The young architect, later recognized by the Baroque master, reworked his father's project and successfully implemented it. In 1728, a year before the canonization of Jan Nepomuk, construction was completed, and in 1729 Archbishop Ferdinand von Hyunbürg carried out its ceremonial coverage. In 1784, the church was closed and used as a salt warehouse. At the end of the 19th century, he came under the control of the army and was transformed into a school church for a cadet school. In 1948, the church was closed, but later resumed work and was returned to the ownership of the Prague Archbishopric. In September 2001, the church was again transferred to the army of the Czech Republic. Here they hold concerts of the military orchestra, traditional church rites and services for the military and their families. Above the facade of the church is dominated by a narrow clock tower, in the niche of which between the two angels is a statue of St. John of Nepomuk. Above the entrance to the church are sculptures of saints Joseph and Sigismund, made by sculptor Matei Václav Ekkel. He also created a portal for the main entrance, which is decorated with seated figures of Faith and Hope. The vaulted church nave is covered with frescoes by the famous artist Wenzel Lorenz Rainer, which depict an extensive cycle of miracles and legends associated with the patron saint of the church. The main altar is decorated with a painting by Czech artist Jan Lishka. It was moved from the destroyed church of St. Vojtech.