Porta coeli Convent

For other convents called "Porta coeli", see Porta Coeli (disambiguation).

Western portal of the convent church

Chapter house

Porta coeli (Czech: Cisterciácké opatství Porta coeli, Latin: Heaven's Gate) is a 13th-century convent (women monastery) located in Předklášteří, near Tišnov, South Moravian Region, Czech Republic, . Situated in the valley of the Svratka River, this Cistercian convent was founded in 1233 by Queen Constance of Hungary, in maternal side from house of Anjou, (who was also buried here), widow of King Ottokar I of Bohemia.

The church was consecrated in 1239 by Bernhard, Bishop of Prague with approval and at presence of Robert the Englishman, Bishop of Olomouc. It has three aisles, a transept and a rather long sanctuary ending in a five-sided apse. Despite the austerity of the Cistercian rules, the western façade has a portal reminiscent of French cathedrals. It is unique in the part of Europe, eastern from Rhine.

The interior contains valuable Baroque furnishings from after 1764; on the high altar there is a painting by F. A. Maulbertsch, sculpture by Andreas Schweigl, and other paintings by the Jesuit artist Ignác Raab. The cloister walk is worthy of note because of its early Gothic vaulting, its capitals, figurative and decorative carvings and the chapter house, built between 1260 and 1270.

There is also a brewery situated on the premises of the monastery – it was opened in 2019 and named Vorkloster, which is the German name of Předklášteří – the village where the monastery is located.

Attractions

An interesting fact is that this monastery was saved twice (1861 and 1990) from destruction, oblivion and physical extinction by the heroic efforts of Europe's smallest nation, the Lusatian Sorbs, specifically by the convent of the Marienstern Monastery in Panschwitz-Kuckau.

After this monastery the asteroid 3276 Porta Coeli is named

Gallery

• 
  Portal of the church with neo-gothic chapel
• 
  Tympanum - probably the King Otakar I. and Constance of Hungary kneeling at the feet of Jesus
• 
  The Cloister
• 
  Exhibition showing history of the monastery
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  The detail of the Postal with Apostels
• 
  View from the east

External links

• Klášter Porta coeli – official webpage (in Czech)