Church of St. Jiljí, e.g. St. Giles in English in Prague's Old Town is an original Gothic building from the 14th century, the foundation of which was also attended by King and Emperor Charles IV and his son Wenceslas IV. The western entrance portal and outer shell still bear building elements from this period.
The interior decoration is mostly from the Baroque period, we can especially admire the frescoes of one of the best painters of this time - Václav Vavřinec Rainer, who is even buried here.
Since the 17th century, the church has been owned by the Dominican order, the main ceiling fresco from the workshop of V. V. Rainer celebrates this order, the two side ones are dedicated to the founder of the order, St. Dominic, and the other - in the south nave, to one of the most important Dominicans, St. Thomas Aquinas.
The large painting of the main altar dates back to before the Baroque reconstruction, from the sixties of the 17th century, and is the work of a Prague painter with Flemish roots, Antonín Stevens. He was knighted by Emperor Leopold I for his work.
The sculptural decoration from the Baroque period of the 18th century is the work of Jan Antonín Quittainer, while Emanuel Dítě worked here in the 19th century.
Upon entering, the visitor is also attracted by the great organ instrument, which is classical, baroque-romantic, has three manuals, 3,500 pipes, 50 stops and is one of the largest in Prague.
