St Thomas' Church

St Thomas' Church is a Roman Catholic church standing on Josefská street, number 8, in Prague's Malá Strana district, just a short walk from Malostranské náměstí. Behind its elegant Baroque facade lies more than seven and a half centuries of history, marked by fire, war, and repeated rebuilding.

How old is this church, really?

The site has held a place of worship since long before recorded history of the current building begins. A small Romanesque chapel belonging to Benedictine monks from nearby Břevnov stood here before 1227. Everything changed in 1285, when King Wenceslas II and his wife Guta granted the land to the Augustinian friars and commissioned a new Gothic church on the spot of the older one. Construction dragged on for nearly a century — the three-nave church was finally consecrated in 1379. The monastery founded here is considered the oldest Augustinian monastery in the Czech lands, and it later became the seat of the order's Czech province.

What did the church go through during the Hussite Wars?

Peace didn't last. In 1420, during the Hussite Wars, Prague residents sympathetic to the Hussite cause drove out the monks and set the monastery buildings on fire. Reconstruction stalled for years due to a lack of funds. Misfortune struck again in 1541, when another fire damaged both the church and the monastery; this time restoration only got underway under the reign of Rudolf II. Late in the 16th century, between 1584 and 1592, the Augustinians brought in builder Bernardo Alberti to renovate the church, giving it a partly Renaissance character.

Where did the current Baroque look come from?

The final blow — and, paradoxically, the reason for the church's present appearance — was a fire started by a lightning strike. The Augustinian order responded by commissioning a complete rebuild from Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer, one of the leading architects of Prague Baroque. The work, completed in the 1720s, gave the church the slender facade and richly decorated interior visitors see today, fitting seamlessly into the historic streetscape of Malá Strana. For long stretches of its history, the church served not only as a parish church but also as the pro-cathedral of the Prague diocese, underscoring its standing within the city's religious life.

What should visitors know before going?

St Thomas' Church sits right in the heart of Malá Strana, only a few hundred metres from Charles Bridge and from Malostranské náměstí with its landmark Church of St Nicholas. Its location on the quieter Josefská street makes it easy to combine a visit with a walk through the surrounding lanes, away from the busiest tourist routes. The building's coordinates are 50.0886, 14.4058.

Frequently asked questions

What denomination is St Thomas' Church? It is a Roman Catholic church, historically linked to the Augustinian friars since the Middle Ages.

When did the church get its current Baroque appearance? The present form dates from a rebuild completed in the 1720s, designed by Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer after a fire caused by a lightning strike.

Is this the oldest Augustinian monastery in the Czech Republic? Yes — the monastery attached to St Thomas' Church, founded in 1285, is considered the oldest Augustinian monastery on Czech territory.

Where exactly is the church located? On Josefská street, number 8, in Prague's Malá Strana district, close to Malostranské náměstí and Charles Bridge.

Did the church suffer damage during the Hussite Wars? Yes, in 1420 the monks were expelled and the monastery buildings were burned; the reconstruction took years to complete.