Church of Saint Francis of Assisi

The Church of St Francis of Assisi stands on the north side of Křižovnické náměstí (Knights of the Cross Square) on the Old Town side of Charles Bridge in Prague — a Baroque landmark that also serves as the seat of the Order of the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star, the only religious order of Czech origin.

Who designed the church, and when was it built?

The order commissioned the building on the site of an older, medieval monastic church. The design came from Jean-Baptiste Mathey, a French architect working at the imperial court in Prague, while construction on the ground was overseen first by the Italian builder Gaudenzio Casanova and, after his death, by Domenico Canevalle. Work began in 1679 and continued for roughly a decade, giving the square by the bridge its present Baroque look.

What makes the building's architecture stand out?

The church's signature feature is its dome, raised in the Italian manner — the first structure of its kind built anywhere in Bohemia. It sits on a tall, octagonal drum divided by paired columns and pierced by windows that flood the interior with light. The dome itself rises close to 41 metres above the floor, making it one of the more recognisable silhouettes on the Old Town skyline as seen from the Vltava.

What's worth seeing inside?

The inside of the dome is covered by a monumental fresco of the Last Judgment, painted in 1722–1723 by Václav Vavřinec Reiner, generally regarded as the finest Czech fresco painter of the Baroque era. It's this sweeping, figure-packed composition spanning the entire cupola that catches visitors' eyes the moment they step inside.

What's the church's connection to the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star?

The building remains the seat of the Order of the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star, present on this spot since 1252 — the only knightly order to have originated on Czech soil. It stands next to the order's convent buildings, and the site has been continuously linked to the order since the Middle Ages, even though the church's current Baroque form only dates from the late-17th-century rebuilding.

Where exactly is the church, and how do you find it?

The building closes off Křižovnické náměstí to the north, a small square on Prague's Old Town side, just steps from the Old Town end of Charles Bridge. It sits on one of the busiest routes between the Old Town and Malá Strana, so most visitors pass it whenever they cross the bridge.

Frequently asked questions

Who designed the Church of St Francis of Assisi? The French architect Jean-Baptiste Mathey drew up the design; construction was overseen in turn by Gaudenzio Casanova and Domenico Canevalle.

What does the dome fresco depict? The Last Judgment, painted in 1722–1723 by Václav Vavřinec Reiner.

Which order is the church linked to? The Order of the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star, the only religious order of Czech origin, present on the site since 1252.

Where exactly does the church stand? On Křižovnické náměstí in Prague's Old Town, right at the Old Town end of Charles Bridge.