overview opening hours about the place This three-aisled basilica, measuring 75 m in length, 31 m in width and 27.5 m in height, is one of the largest religious buidings in Prague. The construction of the church in the style of a late Romanesque basilica was financed by a public collection, to which even the Emperor Ferdinand I the Gracious and Empress Caroline contributed. The church was consecrated on October 18, 1863 on the millennial anniversary of the arrival of the Slavic missionaries Cyril and Methodius. opening hours january—december mon—sun 8:00—19:00 regular roman catholic masses Su 9:30, 18:30 Mo 18:30 Tu 8:00 We, Fr 12:00 Th 18:00 more about opening hours opening hours january—december mon—sun 8:00—19:00 regular roman catholic masses Su 9:30, 18:30 Mo 18:30 Tu 8:00 We, Fr 12:00 Th 18:00 history After 1817, a new Prague suburb emerged beyond the walls of the New Town, on the former Hospital Field near Invalidovna, the military veterans’ home. It was named Karlín in honour of the emperor’s wife, Caroline Augusta. Following the demolition of Prague’s fortifications, the district expanded rapidly, and it was only a matter of time before sufficient funds were raised to build its principal Catholic church — the Church of St Cyril and St Methodius. Constructed between 1854 and 1863 to designs by Karl Rösner, a professor at the Vienna Academy, and the Czech architect Vojtěch Ignác Ullmann, this monumental Neo-Romanesque basilica was modelled on early medieval churches built of dressed stone. The celebrations accompanying the ceremonial tapping and blessing of the foundation stone were even attended by the young imperial couple: the Habsburg Emperor Franz Joseph I and his wife Elisabeth, known as Sisi. The church’s richly ornamented façade immediately catches the eye. Čeněk Vosmík created the statues of Christ and ten patron saints of the Czech lands positioned beneath the rose window. In the tympanum above the central entrance, Christ is flanked by the kneeling Slavic saints Cyril and Methodius. The interior was far from complete when the church was consecrated, and work continued for many years afterwards. The decoration was carried out in two principal stages and was not finished until the very end of the nineteenth century. Josef Matyáš Trenkwald and Gustav Vacek were among the principal contributors to the wall paintings, which are dominated by a monumental figure of Christ in a mandorla, giving his blessing. Josef Mánes painted the smaller depictions of saints on the side altars, while many other artists also contributed to the church’s rich décor. The striking stained-glass windows were created from full-scale designs by František Ženíšek and František Sequens.