Former Augustinians-Eremites Abbey / Bývalé opatství augustiniánu-poustevníku - Moravské námestí (Brno)
N 49° 11.880 E 016° 36.490
33U E 617156 N 5450711
Complex of the former Augustinians-Eremites Abbey (Opatství augustiniánu-poustevníku) with Church of St. Thomas (kostel Sv. Tomáše), founded in the half of the 14th century, is one of historic and architectural landmarks of Moravian metropoplis Brno.
Waymark Code: WMNGY5
Location: Jihomoravský kraj, Czechia
Date Posted: 03/15/2015
Views: 31
Complex of the former Augustinians-Eremites Abbey (Opatství augustiniánu-poustevníku) with Church of St. Thomas (kostel Sv. Tomáše), founded in the half of the 14th century, is one of historic and architectural landmarks of Moravian metropoplis Brno.
The church and the Augustinian convent was founded in the year 1350 by the Moravian margrave Jan Jindrich Lucemburský (John Henry of Luxembourg), brother of the Emperor Charles IV, and his son Jošt.
However, the present appearance is a result of its Baroque reconstruction by Jan Krtitel Erna in the 1660s and namely the final reshaping (1722-1752) supervised by the Brno architect Moritz Grimm. After the reconstruction was convent promoted to Augustinian abbey.
Later, as a result of Emperor Joseph’s II reforms in the early 80s, the Augustinians were forced to move into the Old Brno Monastery. A new government, provincial and estate offices were moved into the empty representative spaces for a long period of time. The following adaptations which concerned mainly the interiors were designed by the Viennese court architect Franz Anton Hillebrandt. The provincial authorities used this palace as the seat of the governor even after 1918 but during the Protectorate (1939-1945) the Czechoslovak state’s authorities were replaced by German Nazi invaders.
Novadays is the most representative palace of the convent, so called Governor's Palace (former prelature), part of the Moravian Gallery. It offers a permanent exhibition of art from the gothic period to the 19th century which includes the Drawing and Graphic Cabinet and spaces for temporary exhibitions. The Governor’s Palace also contains a Baroque hall with a capacity of 150 seats which is used for a variety of events and exhibitions.