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Franciscan Monastery - Octárna

Franciscan Monastery - Octárna

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At the beginning of the 17th century Cardinal Franz von Dietrichstein brought the Franciscans to Kroměříž and had a monastery built for them outside the town walls. The order was active here from 1620 until the monastery was dissolved in 1788. According to old engravings the monastery was fortified – it had its own gate, a drawbridge and moats.

The building and its courtyard have survived in almost their original form. After the dissolution a vinegar works was set up here, which is why it is still called Octárna ("vinegar works"); later it was used for flats, and in 1918 the town bought the monastery. The painter Max Švabinský spent his childhood and youth here, as recalled by a memorial plaque.

Today the complex houses Hotel Octárna. Since 1999 lunettes by Max Švabinský, originally intended for the National Theatre in Prague, have been on display here. The monastery is part of the Kroměříž Urban Heritage Reserve.

Interesting places nearby

Hotel Octarna

Tovačovského 318, 767 01 Kroměříž

Four-star hotel in a historic complex just outside the centre of Kroměříž: 25 rooms, a restaurant with Moravian cuisine, a garden with Max Švabinský's lunettes and free parking.

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Chapel of the Holy Cross

Tovačovského, 767 01 Kroměříž

The chapel of the former Franciscan monastery on Tovačovského Street, consecrated in 1654. Today it belongs to the Hotel Octárna and serves as a hall for weddings, concerts and social events.

Max Švabinský Lunettes

Tovačovského 318, 767 01 Kroměříž

Four mosaic lunettes by Max Švabinský showing scenes from Czech history, originally intended for the National Theatre. They are in the grounds of the former Franciscan monastery where the painter spent his childhood.