Chapel of Saint Anthony of Padua

The Chapel of Saint Anthony of Padua is a small Baroque chapel in Prachatice, in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic, built in 1730 at a spot known as U Horní brány, on the southwestern edge of the town's heritage reserve. It stands right next to the former Upper Gate, one of the historic entrances to the old town, and remains a modest but recognizable feature of Prachatice's historic streetscape.

Why was the chapel built?

The chapel was commissioned by a local burgher, Johann Karl Bylansky. His goal was not to add another parish church to the town but to give a proper, sheltered home to a statue of Saint Anthony of Padua. That statue had been donated to Prachatice by Princess Maria Ernestina of Eggenberg, also known as Marie Arnoštka, Duchess of Krumlov. Before the chapel existed, the statue stood outdoors, exposed to the weather, right in front of the Upper Gate. The chapel's construction in 1730 finally gave the saint's image a permanent, protected setting.

What does the chapel's architecture look like?

The building follows a simple square floor plan, typical of small Baroque votive structures of its time. It is covered by a saddle roof, finished with a gable on the western side and a hip on the eastern side. A wooden sanctus belfry rises from the roof ridge, topped with a gilded cross — a small but distinctive feature that makes the chapel identifiable even from a distance despite its modest size. The side walls are pierced by windows filled with coloured stained glass, filtering soft, tinted light into the interior. The entrance takes the form of a semicircular portal closed off by a decorative wrought-iron grille, a common solution for town and roadside chapels meant to stay visually open while being physically secured outside service hours.

What can be found inside?

The interior is covered by a cross vault and decorated with rich painted ornamentation. At the centre of the vault's decoration is a circular mirror surrounded by a stucco frame, within which a painting of a dove — the traditional symbol of the Holy Spirit — has been placed. This combination of illusionistic painting and stucco work was characteristic of the Baroque style and was meant to lend the small interior a sense of sacred elevation despite its size.

The chapel's principal devotional object is a Baroque statue of Saint Anthony of Padua dating from the early 18th century. It was carved from coarse-grained sandstone, a material widely used across South Bohemia for outdoor and votive sculpture thanks to its durability and workability.

Where exactly is the chapel located?

The chapel stands on the southwestern edge of the Prachatice heritage reserve, close to the former Upper Gate, one of the landmarks marking the boundary of the town's historic core. Prachatice, set at the foot of the Šumava mountains, is known for its well-preserved burgher houses and Renaissance façades, and the Chapel of Saint Anthony is one of the smaller yet historically well-documented pieces of that heritage fabric.

Frequently asked questions

Who commissioned the Chapel of Saint Anthony of Padua in Prachatice? It was commissioned in 1730 by a local burgher, Johann Karl Bylansky, to provide a proper home for the statue of the saint.

Where did the statue of Saint Anthony inside the chapel come from? It was donated to the town by Princess Maria Ernestina of Eggenberg (Marie Arnoštka), Duchess of Krumlov. Before the chapel was built, it stood outdoors in front of the Upper Gate.

What material is the statue of the saint made from? The early 18th-century Baroque statue is carved from coarse-grained sandstone.

What does the painting inside the chapel depict? The centrepiece of the vault's decoration is a painting of a dove, symbolising the Holy Spirit, framed in stucco around a circular mirror.

Where exactly does the chapel stand? On the southwestern edge of Prachatice's heritage reserve, at the spot known as U Horní brány, near the former Upper Gate.