Franciscan Monastery

The Franciscan Monastery in Hostinne was built in the early Baroque style in 1677–1684 by Wolfgang Dientzenhofer following a project by the architect Martin Reiner of Prague. The monastery apothecary was located on the ground floor, and on the 1^st floor a hospital for pilgrims and the poor was established in 1728. The monastery also included a vegetable and herb garden. The Franciscans used the herbs they grew to make healing ointments and teas, and kept bees in beehives. They lived in the monastery until 1950, when the Secret Police forcefully removed them and put them in an internment camp.

The monastery became dilapidated some time ago, but the successful reconstruction earned it the Building of the Year 2012 award. Long-term exhibitions of the Municipal Museum are located in the historical premises on the 1^st floor. The exhibition presents the town’s history from the early 13^th century colonisation of the Krkonose foothills (Podkrkonosi) up to 1948. A unique collection of hand-carved beehives is on display as well. The arcaded hallway is used for a collection of large 17^th-century lunettes which depict episodes from the life of St. Francis of Assisi. The two-nave monastery church of the Immaculate Conception now houses the Gallery of Ancient Art, where the displayed castings of classical-era sculptures, the property of Charles University in Prague, belong to one of the most important European art collections and a selection of the best sculpting artworks of that period. A municipal library is also located in the monastery.