Capuchin Monastery and Church of St Anthony of Padua

The Capuchin Monastery and Church of St Anthony of Padua is one of the key Baroque monuments of the Sokolov area. The complex was built in 1663-1667 for the Capuchins with the support of Count Jan Hartvík of Nostitz, and the church still shapes the northern side of Sokolov's Staré náměstí. Today the former monastery is no museum shell: it hosts concerts, exhibitions, a brewery, virtual-reality interpretation and occasional events.

History

The first Capuchin friars arrived in Sokolov in 1663. Construction of the convent and adjoining church followed in 1664-1667, and the church was consecrated on 20 October 1667 in the presence of Bishop Maxmilián Rudolf Schleinitz. The community survived major town fires in 1744 and 1753 and even the 18th-century Josephine suppression of many monasteries.

The modern break came after 1948. In 1950, during the communist campaign against monasteries, the Capuchin community was forcibly dissolved and the complex was handed over to the army. The church was closed and used as storage. Sokolov took over the site in 1961, and a gradual rescue began. After major restoration in the 1990s, the church became a modern exhibition and concert hall in 2002.

Architecture

The church of St Anthony is a fine example of early Baroque Capuchin architecture: a single-nave rectangular building with two symmetrical side chapels, a triangular front gable and a slender turret with an onion roof. Inside, barrel vaulting divides the nave into three bays, leading to a lower and narrower presbytery. The organ from 1965 was moved here from the demolished monastery at Mariánská.

The convent buildings surround a square cloister courtyard about 33 metres across, with a stone well curb at the centre. Under the church lies a 31-metre crypt, once used as the burial place of the Nostitz family.

What you can experience today

The church functions as an exhibition and concert hall for up to about 300 visitors, with lighting, sound equipment and restored working organ. The side chapels provide smaller exhibition spaces.

In the southern wing, Permon Brewery has been brewing lagers and special beers since 2011. The name refers to permoníci, mining spirits from Ore Mountains folklore, a neat link between the monastery and the industrial landscape around Sokolov.

A VR tour introduces the monastery through the HAPTIKUS project, and the historic convent setting is also used for an escape room and private or cultural events.

Practical information

The church is usually accessible during exhibitions, concerts and announced events. Check the current programme before visiting. The site works well with a stop at the brewery restaurant or with a walk through Sokolov's historic centre.

Directions and contacts

• Website: klaster.sb-sokolov.cz
• Address: Komenského 77, 356 01 Sokolov
• GPS: 50.1790, 12.6373
• Operator: Sokolovská bytová s.r.o.
• Phone: +420 359 808 622
• E-mail: info@sb-sokolov.cz
• Bookings and rentals: mudra@sb-sokolov.cz, +420 731 410 386