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A Knight in Prague

Discover the rich history of the Knights of Malta in Prague's Mala Strana, from the Grand Prior's Seat to the Church of Our Lady Beneath the Chain. Visit Maltese Square, Grand Priory Square, and the iconic John Lennon Wall. Explore the gardens and Castle of the Grand Prior, and learn about the Order's revival after the Velvet Revolution. Browse the John Lennon Gift Shop and witness a service at the Church with members of the Order.

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A Knight in Prague

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  1. A Knight in Prague Chevalier P Fordyce KSJ

  2. Knights of Malta in Prague In the Mala Strana (Lesser Quarter) which sits on a gentle incline between the Prague Castle and the Vltava River is Maltese Square and Grand Priory Square. The seat of the Grand Prior is located here. The Church of Our Lady Beneath the Chain, which has two massive towers dating from the time when this was a fortified priory. The Church, founded in the 12th century, is the oldest in the Little Quarter and was presented to the Knights of St John by King Vladislav II. It stood in the centre of the Knights' heavily fortified monastery. The church's name refers to the chain used during the Middle Ages to close the monastery gatehouse. Knights of Malta in Prague In the Mala Strana (Lesser Quarter) which sits on a gentle incline between the Prague Castle and the Vltava River is Maltese Square and Grand Priory Square. The seat of the Grand Prior is located here.

  3. The wheel of the Grand Prior's Mill has been totally restored and runs in a short side-channel of the Vltava river known as the Venice of Prague

  4. Gardens of the Castle of the Grand Prior

  5. Part of the wall inside the garden of the Grand Prior. On the other side of this wall is what is known as the John Lennon Wall

  6. The John Lennon wall of the Priory, opposite the French embassy, became a symbol of resistance to the communist regime and has continued to this day, notwithstanding the end of communism, to be a symbol of the past struggle to be free of the yoke of foreign rule and control in the period from 1938 when the French and the British effectively handed the country over to the Nazis until the end of communism in 1989.

  7. Information on the John Lennon Gift Shop – the Anglo American University leases parts of the priory today

  8. Front of the Church of the Priory from the square

  9. Front of the Church of the Priory from the Square with 2 towers dating back to when it was a fortified Priory in Prague

  10. Looking through the entrance gate to the Priory to the entrance to the Church

  11. Looking through the entrance gate to the Priory to the entrance to the Church

  12. Decorative metal work on the entrance to the gift shop

  13. Looking from the entrance to the gift shop to the main entrance to the Priory. Note the Knights in the metal work and the Cross of Malta over the gate

  14. One of the Knights on the entrance gates to the Church

  15. In the courtyard just inside the gates into the Priory

  16. Looking up to the tower to the right of the entrance gate

  17. Following the Velvet Revolution in 1989 the Order immediately resumed its activities. New members were inducted and the first steps were taken towards securing the return of the Order's buildings in Prague, namely the Grand Prior's Palace and the Church of Our Lady Under the Chain. Finally, Maltese Help was formed as the relief  organization of the Order in the Czech Republic. In 1991 the Order established diplomatic relations with the Czech Republic. The Order's embassy today stands next to the Church of Our Lady Under the Chain.  Thus, once again the eight-pointed cross serves as a symbol of assistance and comfort for those suffering in body or spirit.

  18. Inside the Gift Shop

  19. Inside the gift shop showing the cross of Malta on the floor

  20. An admirer inside the gift shop

  21. Service in progress at Church in Prague with members of the Order in attendance with black robes

  22. Photo in the Church in Prague

  23. Service in progress at Church in Prague with members of the Order in attendance with black robes. The high altar  features a painting depicting the Virgin Mary and St John the Baptist coming to the aid of the Knights of Malta in the famous naval battle at Lepanto in 1571

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