Monastery of St. Agnes of the Czech Republic
Description:
The monastery of St. Agnes of the Czech Republic is located on the northeastern outskirts of Josefov, on the banks of the Vltava. It is one of the first large Gothic buildings of Prague, founded by Wenceslas I for his sister, Blessed Anezka. The construction of the monastery was begun by the king in 1234 and completed in 1382.
In the period preceding the Hussite wars, the monastery was looted, all the monks left it, and its territory turned into a military camp. Only in 1436 the monastery regained its status.
In 1782, under Emperor Joseph II, the monastery was disbanded, and the buildings were used for other purposes - at one time they served as a haven for the urban poor, used as warehouses and workshops. All this time, the monastery buildings were gradually destroyed and only in the 1950s they were completely restored and transferred to the National Gallery.
Like most historical buildings in Prague, the Monastery of St. Agnes has her own legend. According to legend, a ghost of a girl lives in the monastery, given to the monastery by her father, who did not want her to meet her lover - a knight. However, despite the ban, the girl and the knight continued to meet. Upon learning of this, the father waited for them at night and attacked with a sword. The knight was wounded, the girl died, and before her death, her father cursed her, saying that she would not rest even after her death, while the monastery walls stood.