kostel sv. Anny

The Church of St. Anne in Benešov is a Baroque church that, together with the former Piarist college, dominates Masaryk Square (Masarykovo náměstí) in the heart of this Central Bohemian town.

Why was it built here?

The church was raised in the early 18th century after the Piarist religious order settled in Benešov. The project was funded by Franz Karl Přehořovský, son of Kryštof Karel Přehořovský, who backed the founding of a Piarist grammar school and college attached to the church. The building was designed by Giovanni Battista Alliprandi, an Italian-born architect active in Bohemia and responsible for numerous Baroque commissions of the era. Construction began in 1705, and the church was solemnly consecrated on 9 July 1710. The attached Piarist college became one of the order's first secondary schools in the region and, for decades, served as a cultural and educational hub for the surrounding area — it housed an extensive library, a refectory, and living quarters for teachers and pupils.

What is there to see, inside and out?

The church follows a cross-shaped floor plan typical of Baroque religious architecture, with recessed corners and a stepped gable above the entrance, topped by a small tower rising over the façade. The side walls are kept plain, broken up only by the rhythm of the windows. Inside, the nave is covered by a barrel vault, and the same vaulting technique extends to the side chapels, the presbytery with its triumphal arch, and the crypt beneath the church. Most of the furnishings date from the Baroque period, with some later Rococo additions — the main altar was completed between 1761 and 1763. It's also worth stepping into the college's so-called paradise courtyard, whose façade carries Rococo sundials painted by Pavel Kristián Noldinger (1698–1771). A small exhibition on the history of the Piarist order and its work in Benešov is set up in the corridor next to the church.

How to get there and when to visit?

The church stands directly on Masaryk Square, Benešov's main square, so it's an easy walk of a few minutes from either the train or bus station through the town centre. The corridor exhibition and the paradise courtyard are open free of charge on working days from 7:00 to 18:00, meaning visitors can drop by at almost any time of year without booking ahead. Anyone wanting a guided tour of the church interior should arrange it in advance with the Benešov Art Museum (Muzeum umění Benešov), which organizes tours of the building.

Frequently asked questions

Who designed the Church of St. Anne in Benešov? The architect was Giovanni Battista Alliprandi, active in Baroque Bohemia at the turn of the 18th century.

When was the church built and consecrated? Construction started in 1705, and the church was formally consecrated on 9 July 1710.

Is a visit free of charge? The corridor exhibition on the Piarist order and the college's paradise courtyard are free to enter on working days from 7:00 to 18:00. A guided tour of the church interior needs to be arranged beforehand with the Benešov Art Museum.

What else is worth seeing besides the church itself? The adjoining former Piarist college, including its paradise courtyard with Pavel Kristián Noldinger's Rococo sundials and the small historical exhibition in the corridor next to the church.