On the western edge of the historical town of Ostrov, you may find the campus of the former Piaristic College, which has been known as the Posvátný okrsek (Holy Precinct) since a long  time ago. The present-day state of the buildings does not suggest, even faintly, that the unique Baroque structures were not far from almost vanishing from the face of the earth. Since the 1950s, the campus had served as the headquarters of an army unit and especially its sacral structures had been subject to decay and destruction. Vandals also contributed to its deterioration when the campus had been abandoned. The town of Ostrov was trying to determine its ideal use for several years. After massive reconstruction, a complex of municipal flats was built in the convent, and the repaired sacred structures are currently serving for various cultural and religious purposes. Today, the restored Baroque monuments, an almost unbelievable work of art – bear testimony of the rich history of the town of Ostrov.

Opening hours:

From Tuesday to Sunday: 9.30 am – 12.30 am, 1.00 pm – 6.00 pm

Children under 6 years: free

Children 6 – 15 years: 20 Kč

Entrance to The church and The chapels with a guide: 50 Kč

The church is closed during the concerts and performances, but is possible to visit The chapels – 40 Kč.  

The Convent – Piaristic College

The decision to establish a Piaristic College with a Latin school in Ostrov was made in 1666 by the Duchess Anna Magdaléna, the widow of the late Julius Jindřich of Saxon-Lauenburg. The construction, including the church, was headed by Martin Reiner, a Prague builder, in the course of the years 1666-1671. After conducting finishing work, the convent and the church were consecrated on September 16, 1674. The Ostrov High School facilitated access to higher education for boys from the town and its wide surroundings. A number of later prominents studied here.  The Baroque composer and court bandmaster in Baden, Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer (1656 – 1746), who had studied in Ostrov in the 1670s, is well-known up to this day. Also Josef Loschmidt  (1821 – 1895), a physicist and chemist, one of the founders of nuclear physics, studied here from 1833 to 1837. And in the 1920s, the actress Zita Kabátová spent two years at a school for girls founded in Ostrov by the Order of the Sisters of Christian Love in the late 19th century.

více naleznete ZDE

The Saxon-Lauenburg Funeral Chapel of the St. Anne

The foundation stone was laid by Julius Jindřich, the Duke of Saxon-Lauenburg, on April 20, 1644. He had chosen a remote place just beyond the chateau garden to build
a mausoleum for his family. The chapel was consecrated on September 16, 1663 and soon afterwards, the remains of Julius Jindřich, who died on November 20, 1665, were buried here. The chapel is an octagonal central structure topped by an onion-dome roof with a lantern. Two-floor emporas may be found inside the chapel between pillars with stucco decorations. It is a rare architectonic structure, one of the first Early Baroque central structures in Bohemia.

 více naleznete ZDE

The Chapel of St. Florian

The construction of the chapel was built upon the request of the Margravine Franziska Sibylla Augusta of Baden in the course of years from 1692 to 1693 in memory of a fire on December 28, 1691, which devastated the chateau, yet spared the adjacent town. The central prismatic structure with bevelled corners is roofed with a dome with a lantern. The cupola over the impressive space is decorated with a painting made by an Italian painter, Paolo Manni – The Massacre of the Bethlehem Children  (December 28 – The Feast of Younglings or the Innocent), and the Holy Trinity is depicted in the chandelier. Despite the fact that the dome is dominated by the topic of murder, there is not a drop of blood on the painting. – From 1793 until 1852, the structure served as grain loft and a storage house. In 1933, it was renovated as a monument commemorating the victims of World War I. In September 2007, following an overall reconstruction, a Monument to the Victims of Violence in the Ostrov Region in the 20th century will be opened here.

více naleznete ZDE

The Einsiedeln Chapel

The chapel is a copy of the Lady Chapel in the pilgrimage site of Einsiedeln, Switzerland, built in the course of years from 1709 to 1710 upon the wish of the Margravine of Baden. The structure was allegedly designed by the court builder, J.M.Sockh. A similar chapel was also built by the builder J.M.Rohrer in Rastatt in 1715, where the margrave family had moved. The oblong chaple with a rectangular, indented closure has a richly decorated facade, diversified by protruding columns and corner pilasters with decorated capitals. The Saxon-Lauenburg-Baden alliance emblem may be found over the entrance with stucco reliefs on both sides of the entrance – i.e. the Annunciation and the Birth of Our Lord  - and the relief of the Death of the Virgin Mary in the high gable. The top of the chapel is decorated by the statues of Our Lady, St. Benedictine, and St. Moor. A legend is associated with the chapel which you will certainly learn during your visit to the chapel. The main character in it is relentless time and the deceptive helper of the builder – the Devil.

více naleznete ZDE

The Church of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary

The heart of the cloister grounds is formed by the Church of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, a single-nave structure with a rectangular chancel. The nave area with six chapels is vaulted over by a cylindrical vault with three pairs of sectors projecting from the grandiose pillars. The tall prismatic bell tower was connected with the church through the vestry only later.  Three two-floor cloister annexes are attached to the church, with an internal court and a   cloister. The architectonic design of the facades is quite frugal. Only a few items have been preserved from the interior furnishings of the church: some altar fragments, several statues, and two pictures. However, photo documentation of the original state has been preserved. All that survived the last fifty years is exhibited in its original locations. The church is designated for various cultural events.

více naleznete ZDE

The complex of historical buildings also includes the small Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows as well as garden-house and a grotto in the cloister garden.