The beginnings of the Minorite Church in Jihlava are connected with the arrival of the Minorites in the newly emerging town. Even though written sources do not give any specific date, it was probably at the very beginning of the urban development of the town, i.e. in the 1240s. A site on the western side of the town was selected for the establishment of the monastery, in close proximity to the town gate leading to Pelhřimov, i.e. on one of the busiest streets. It is interesting that the church chancel does not face east, as was typical at the time, but south, towards the home town of the founder of the Order of St. Francis of Assisi. Temporary wooden structures were undoubtedly built on the site, and were later replaced by stone. The first building erected was the church whose chancel was most likely consecrated around 1260. It can only be guessed whether or not the remaining part of the building, i.e. the three-aisled nave, was completed. Even though the architectural style of the church makes a fairly uniform impression, which testifies to a single construction stage, the construction could have lasted longer for financial reasons.
The overall character of the building indicates the Order’s austerity, without any attempts at opulence. The focus on modesty and simplicity is a general characteristic of the architecture of mendicant orders. Originally, mendicant order churches were not supposed to have any vaulting or towers, and the transept was often left out. However, these rules were not always adhered to, as testified, for example, by the church in Jihlava, which is fully vaulted and has a transept. On the other hand, the original appearance of the chancel, which ended in a flat structure, and the conservative character of the building corresponded with the Order’s tendencies. The church design is close to the Romanesque style, which is characterised by thick walls and a segmented interior. The ordering party, most likely in line with the Order’s requirements, employed a builder with a traditional approach. The Jihlava building is often linked with the Minorite church in Stein, Lower Austria, which was built in approximately the same period.
The church consists of a chancel and a three-aisled nave. The two parts are divided by a transept, delimited by massive arches on pillars, which separated the monks from the public. The length of the basilican three-aisled nave and chancel is that of three vault bays. The structure of the pillars in the interior as well as the structure of the perimeter walls gives a robust impression at first glance. High Gothic windows with a pointed relieving arch were situated in the axes of the side walls of the individual bays. The vaulting of the main three-aisled nave is identical to the rib vault of the chancel and transept. The transepts have simple groin vaults without ribs. The northern frontage was initially situated where the wall of the Baroque choir now is. An entrance hall was added in front of the main façade on the north side towards the street.
The wealthy 14th century was a period of development and growth for the Minorites in Jihlava. The architectural form of the church (and monastery) was probably more or less completed, and so funds could be spent on decoration. Just a tiny fraction of the once rich painted decoration has survived to this day. The “miraculous” statue of Pieta probably dates from this period, too, and its origins are placed in the Minorite church by tradition, but it has not been sufficiently proven. In 1353, the period of prosperity came to an end with a fire which badly destroyed the monastery buildings. As the fire destroyed nearly the entire town, it took about three decades to collect funds from charitable gifts donated by the town inhabitants for more extensive renovation of the church. Besides the necessary renovation, a new octagonal bell tower surmounting the crossing was probably built around the same period, and fresco decorations were enhanced.
In 1402, the town was attacked by noblemen from around Jihlava, who broke into the town through the wall at the monastery buildings. This attack was fought off and the successful defence was later depicted in a fresco in the chancel. It was repainted in the Baroque period and has been preserved to this day. During the Hussite Wars, the monastery probably sustained further damage. Thanks to the improved economic situation of the monastery, the Chapel of St. Wenceslas (Kaple sv. Václava) was modified and got a new vault in 1472, and from 1499–1508, the originally flat ending of the chancel was extended by one vault bay with a pentagonal structure. The subsequent wave of paintings and sculptures probably dates from this period, too, for example the Blessing Christ fresco. In 1513, a Marian chapel was added adjacent to the transept.
From the 1530s, most money in the town went to the Protestants and the monastery fell on hard times. The Minorites tried various ways to overcome their financial difficulties, such as selling the street plots by the church. The plots were then filled with town houses. However, this did not help either, and in 1574, the monks had to leave the monastery. After the Battle of White Mountain, a Minorite community settled there again and after the Thirty Years’ War, another prosperous period began. At the beginning of the 18th century, the monastery underwent major renovations, which also involved the church. In addition to new furnishings, this also encompassed modification of the windows and a brand new concept for the street façade. Joseph’s reforms brought more difficult times, which the Minorites in Jihlava survived due to the fact that a second town parish was set up at their church. From 1948–1989, the monastery buildings partly served as a school. Nowadays, the Minorites have the entire premises at their disposal once more.
DN
