Church of St. James the Greater

The Church of St. James the Greater (also Senior) and Minorite monastery are located opposite to the Ungelt entrance on Malá Štupartská Street in Prague's picturesque Old Town. Besides regular services the church, one of the five Prague minor basilicas, regularly hosts organ concerts. The Church of St. James the Greater was founded in 1232 by King Wenceslas I. In 1319, King John of Bohemia started the construction of a long basilica structure of three naves, and thanks him the church is now the third longest cathedral building in Prague. In 1323 the Chapel of St. Anne was built and consecrated in the eastern wing of the monastery. Following a fire in 1689, the originally Gothic church was reconstructed in the Baroque style by master builder Jan Šimon Pánek. Of the highest artistic value in the church is the Baroque tomb of Count Jan Václav Vratislav of Mitrovice designed by the Viennese architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach. There are many legends about the Church of St. James the Greater, one of them about a robber who was caught in the act – quite literally grabbed by the arm – by the statue of St. Mary on the main altar, while robbing her of the gifts she had received for being held as miraculous. The statue let go of his arm only after the monastery superior asked her whether the arm of the robber should be cut off. The blackened arm has been hanging from a chain in the church to this day.

Services in Czech take place in the church on Sundays at 8:30am. Every first Sunday in the month a service is held in Latin starting at 10 a.m. From Monday till Saturday masses are held in St. Anne's Chapel.

Camino