Interested parties can visit the former St. Gabriel's Monastery in January

Prague - Eight guided tours have been prepared for those interested in architecture and history by the owners of the former St. Gabriel's Monastery in Prague's Smíchov district this January. The former convent of the Benedictine Sisters is located next to Kinský Gardens. It is an exceptionally well-preserved example of the little-known Beuron artistic style. The first tour begins today at 3:00 PM. Monica Bubna-Litic from the Society of Friends of Beuron Art, which has long highlighted the uniqueness of the monument, informed ČTK about this.

Entry to the monastery will only be possible during scheduled tours, while the church will be accessible before and after the Sunday service around 11:00 AM and 12:15 PM, Bubna-Litic stated. According to her, interested visitors will be able to view some of the preserved original spaces in the monastery, such as the library, refectory, or the glassed-in paradise garden.

The complex was long owned by the Czech Post, which sold it to the Cimex company a few years ago. Today it is used for rentals and hosting social events.

The complex consists of the former Abbey of St. Gabriel, which was managed by the post office, and the Church of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, commonly referred to as St. Gabriel's Church. The abbey was established at the end of the 19th century as the first women's convent of the Beuron Congregation in Prague. The monastery was elevated to abbey status in 1893. In 1919, the Benedictines sold the monastery to the Ministry of Post and Telegraphs with the stipulation that the church would forever serve liturgical purposes. The state established a Postal Check Office in the monastery, which operated there until 1931. The building served various postal purposes until recently.

The Beuron artistic school was founded by Benedictines in the Beuron Archabbey near Sigmaringen in southern Germany at the end of the 19th century. The historicizing artistic style was primarily applied in the decoration of church buildings, such as colorful frescoes and mosaics.

In 1880, the monks from Beuron relocated to the Emmaus Monastery in Prague, where they remained until 1918. Besides Emmaus and the Smíchov monastery, examples of Beuron art in Prague include St. Anne's Church in Žižkov, the Church of the Holy Family in Řepy, and the Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows in Zlíchov. Some monuments are located in Teplice, České Budějovice, Chrudim, and Prostějov.