Konvikt

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Konvikt

Arcades in the inner courtyard

Konvikt (from Latin convivere - "to live in community") is generally a type of institution or building, where certain people live together in a spiritual sense. They are quite common for students of theological seminaries. In Prague however, Konvikt is used also as a proper name for a complex of buildings in the Old Town next to the Church of Saint Bartholomew, which historically served as a konvikt, although in modern times it has had many different utilizations.

Origins of this complex date back to the 14^th century. In 1372 Jan Milíč of Kroměříž founded a chapel of Saint Mary Magdalene on the site of the present church of Saint Bartholomew. Before that time, there were many brothels in the area and it was quite a disreputable neighbourhood. But thanks to Jan Milíč, a new asylum for penitent prostitute was built, which was called Jerusalem.

In 1374 - 1420 King Wenceslas IV. handed over several houses to the Cistercian order, who founded there a college of Saint Bernard. However, during the Hussite wars the monks were expelled and later the houses were sold out to individual citizens. Some of the houses were later connected again, but only in the 17^th when the Jesuites bought the entire complex in 1669 and began a great reconstruction. A new part was built on the western side and in the beginning of the 18^th century even a tower. The Church of Saint Bartholomew was built in the 1720s. Later the original wooden arcades were replaced by walled ones.

In 1773 the Jesuite order was disembodied. The church was then deconsecrated and the complex of buildings sold out again. The refectory was converted into a concert hall and most of the complex was used as workshops or storages.

In the 1850s the church was renewed and some slight architectural alterations were made.

During the communist time, the complex was stolen from its rightful owners and no one was taking care of it, so it quickly dilapidated. Only in 1982 a rstoration began. And when the buildings returned to the original owners, the restoration work coninued, until the complex was fully revitalised in the beginning of the 21^st century.