Church of Saint Clemens in Holešovice

The Church of Saint Clement in Holešovice is the oldest surviving building in Prague's Holešovice district — a modest, small-scale church standing in the area of the former village of Bubny, between the streets Kostelní, Dukelských hrdinů and Skalecká, just above the old Holešovice baths, a short walk from Strossmayerovo náměstí.

How old is the church, really?

The site's story goes back to the 13th century. In 1234, Count Zdislav donated an earlier Romanesque church here to the monastery of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre from Zderaz. In 1298 the church was granted indulgences — a document that also happens to be the first written record of its dedication to Saint Clement, an unusual patron saint for a Prague church and itself a hint at the building's age. In 1311, Queen Elizabeth of Bohemia (Eliška Přemyslovna) confirmed a land donation for building a new church and cemetery on the site.

What survives from the original Gothic building?

The oldest surviving part is the eastern end, dating to the last quarter of the 13th century: a small Early Gothic chancel measuring only about 7.1 by 6.1 metres, covered by a cross-rib vault with a circular boss still visible today. Attached to it is a rectangular nave with a flat ceiling and a narrow, square chancel annex.

How did the church change over the centuries?

After 1547, a new south portal was added to the nave, and a barrel-vaulted sacristy was built on the north side; the windows were enlarged as well. The Swedish siege of Prague in the mid-17th century left the building badly damaged. Its reconstruction, paid for by Maximilian Valentin of Martinic, ran from 1659 to 1677: the vault received rich stucco decoration, the south window of the chancel was enlarged, the old east window was walled up, and a small bell tower was raised above the sacristy — still holding a bell cast in 1572, older than the Baroque rebuilding itself.

Where does the long nave come from?

The church's present shape dates to 1899, when architect František Schlaffer directed works between 4 July and 31 October: the western wall of the nave was pulled down and the nave extended westward, the organ loft was moved and enlarged, and the windows throughout the building were made uniform in appearance. That same year the parish became independent, separating from the parish of Bubeneč.

Can visitors see the church today?

The church now serves as a branch (filial) church of the parish of St. Anthony of Padua in Holešovice. Since 1964 it has been listed as an immovable cultural monument of the Czech Republic, a protection that covers its Gothic chancel as much as its Baroque and 19th-century additions.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the Church of Saint Clement in Holešovice? In Prague 7, in the area of the former village of Bubny, between the streets Kostelní, Dukelských hrdinů and Skalecká, above the old Holešovice baths, near Strossmayerovo náměstí.

Is this the same church as the Klementinum in the Old Town? No. It is an entirely different, much smaller building — a parish church in Holešovice, unrelated to the Jesuit Klementinum complex in central Prague.

What is the oldest part of the building? The eastern end, with its Early Gothic chancel and cross-rib vault with a circular boss, dating from the last quarter of the 13th century.

How old is the bell in the tower? It dates from 1572, older than the church's Baroque reconstruction of 1659–1677, during which the small bell tower above the sacristy was actually built.

Is the church a protected monument? Yes, it has been listed as an immovable cultural monument of the Czech Republic since 1964.