Church of Our Lady of Victories

A chapel dedicated to the Holy Trinity was built on this site in 1584. Following Rudolph II's Letter of Majesty a larger church in the style of a Roman basilica was built around 1611 for German Lutherans. The monastery was abolished on 3 June 1784 by Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor, and administration of the church assigned to the Knights of Malta. ==Architecture==

Exterior Reconstruction of the church was begun in 1636, along with a monastery. Baltasar Marradas donated the funds for construction of the front facade, which was built in 1664. Above the entrance is a statue of "Our Lady with the Child Jesus". A tower was added in 1669. Interior On the right is the Chapel of Our Lady with a 1626 statue of the Madonna; on the left is the Chapel of the Holy Cross, which formerly housed the statue of the Infant of Prague from 1656 to 1776. The altar paintings of Saint Joachim, Saint Anne and Apostle Simon are by Petr Brandl. ==Shrine==

In 1638 Princess Lobkowicz donated to the friars a small statue of the Infant Jesus, which they placed in their novitiate chapel. In 1631 soldiers of Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden plundered the city, and the statue was lost. In 1637, the Carmelites returned to Prague and found the discarded statue. The cultus of the Infant of Prague spread, particularly in Spain, the country of the statue's origin. With the abolition of the monastery under Joseph II, the church and its shrine fell into neglect. In 1879, funds were raised for the restoration of the shrine altar. In 1928, Prague celebrated the 300th anniversary of veneration of the Infant Jesus. During the Nazi occupation of World War II and the subsequent communist regime, veneration at the shrine was discouraged, although pilgrims from Spanish-speaking countries continued to make their way to Prague. Visit of Pope Benedict XVI On 26 September 2009 Pope Benedict XVI declared the church and the Infant Jesus the first station on the Apostolic Road in the Czech Republic. The Pontiff also donated a gold crown, decorated with eight shells, pearls, and garnet gemstones to the Infant Jesus of Prague, which rests above the statue today. File:Child Jesus of Prague (original statue).jpg|The famous Child Jesus of Prague statue located in the church File:Kostel Panny Marie Vitezne v Karmelitske.jpg|The front of the Church of Our Lady of Victories File:Infant Jesus of Prague in context (37895290472).jpg|Pilgrims inside the church looking to the altar of the Infant Jesus of Prague File:Altar Iglesia de Santa María de la Victoria 2601.jpg|Chancel of the church File:Stevens P. Maria Vítězná.jpg| Painting celebrating the Catholic victory, by Anton Stevens (c. 1610–1675). ==Present day==

The former monastery is now the office of the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports. The church is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Prague's Historic Center. It houses a museum related to the Infant of Prague. ==References==