Church of Saint Anne

The Church of Saint Anne is a Baroque monastery church in Plzeň, built for a community of Dominican nuns and now serving as an Orthodox place of worship. Standing on Bezručova Street, it is a protected historical monument and one of the notable examples of Baroque sacred architecture in western Bohemia.

Getting there

The church sits in the central part of Plzeň, on Bezručova Street at building number 463, within easy walking distance of the city's historic core. Plzeň itself is well connected by rail and motorway to Prague, roughly an hour's drive away, making the church an easy addition to a day trip focused on the city center.

History of the monastery and the church

The building was constructed between 1712 and 1735 as the church of a Dominican convent. Its design is attributed to Jakub Auguston, an architect associated with late Baroque religious buildings in Bohemia. From the outset the church served as the spiritual center of the female monastic community, and its interior was fitted with a unified set of altars and decoration completed before the mid-18th century.

The convent's fate changed in 1782, when an imperial decree dissolved the Dominican community as part of the Josephine reforms, which abolished numerous contemplative religious orders across the Habsburg monarchy. Two years later, in 1784, the city of Plzeň purchased the vacated monastery buildings and installed a primary school and a secondary grammar school on the site. For a long period the church building thus stood alongside an educational institution, while still retaining its sacred character.

Interior and furnishings

The church has preserved a coherent Baroque interior dating from before the mid-18th century. The main altar is dedicated to Saint Anne, the church's patron, while the side altars honor the Virgin Mary, Saint Aloysius, and Saint Dominic, the founder of the Dominican order to which the convent belonged. This arrangement reflects both the building's monastic origins and the typical Baroque iconographic program combining Marian devotion with the veneration of order-specific saints.

An Orthodox church today

After years of use unrelated to its original sacred function, the building underwent a complete renovation before being reconsecrated. The ceremony took place on 12 October 2014, led by Bishop Simeon, the Metropolitan Administrator of the Orthodox Church in the Czech Lands and Slovakia. Since then, the church has served the local Orthodox community as an active place of worship, combining its Baroque architecture with Eastern liturgical practice.

When to visit

The church is a natural stop while exploring Plzeň's historic center, which also includes the Gothic Cathedral of Saint Bartholomew and the underground passages beneath the Old Town. Because the building is in active liturgical use, it is worth checking visiting hours in advance, particularly around the times of Orthodox services.

Frequently asked questions

What was the Church of Saint Anne originally built for? It was built between 1712 and 1735 as the monastery church of a Dominican convent, designed by architect Jakub Auguston.

Why did the monastery cease to exist? The Dominican community was dissolved by imperial decree in 1782, and the monastery buildings were later purchased by the city and turned into a school.

Who uses the church today? Since a renovation completed in 2014, the church has been used by the Orthodox Church and serves the local Orthodox congregation.

Which saints are the altars dedicated to? The main altar is dedicated to Saint Anne, while the side altars honor the Virgin Mary, Saint Aloysius, and Saint Dominic.