Few could imagine the Prague’s contemporary skyline without the majestic Baroque dome and slender bell tower of St. Nicholas Church rising up below Prague Castle. And yet, it is but one of almost two hundred gems shaped by the talented Kilian Ignaz, which have given the Czech landscape its characteristic aspect over the centuries. Anyone inspired by the grandiosity and dynamics of the era of giant wigs should visit at least one of his Prague churches. The Dientzenhofer dynasty of builders came from the spa village of Bad Feilnbach in Bavaria. From its ranks came seven builders who influenced the architecture of Baroque Europe. The head of the family, Christoph Dientzenhofer, came to Prague in 1685 when he married Anna, daughter of the builder Jan Jiří Aichbauer, thus acquiring an established building firm. Their last, fifth-born child was Kilian Ignaz. He was born not far from Charles Bridge. He studied philosophy and mathematics at the University of Prague and then went abroad to gain experience. He stayed in Vienna, Venice, Rome, Milan, Florence and Naples. He brought a flair for ornamentation and delicacy of detail from these journeys to Prague, which is evident in the city’s magnificent Baroque buildings. He first started gathering experience from 1716 under his father’s supervision while working on building the Břevnov Monastery, where Benedictine monks resided. He was soon befriended by the prior of the monastery, who often lent him his carriage to travel around Bohemia, and urged his subordinates to arrange for the company of a learned man in the carriage, for the master builder was fond of discussing theology. The Basilica of St. Margaret is a national cultural monument. The Břevnov brewery has been brewing beer since 993, making it the oldest site of beer production in Czechia. The pinnacle of his work and the most valuable example of Baroque architecture in Prague is the Church of St. Nicholas on Malostranské náměstí (Lesser Town Square). Three generations of the Dientzenhofer family were involved in its construction, which took almost 100 years. Its monumentality is enhanced by the massive, boldly designed dome. This is complemented by the slender St. Nicholas Bell Tower, which also served as a fire watchtower and was the last town crier’s tower in Prague. From the 1960s, it served as an observation post for the State Security Service to monitor Western embassies located in the surrounding area. Today it is open to the public and offers an impressive view over the rooftops of the Lesser Town houses, as well as an exhibit of the tower-keeper’s apartment with a black kitchen. In Prague, Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer designed the most beautiful Baroque library in the world and most likely the Mirror Chapel in the Clementinum. The library has been in operation since 1722. Among the volumes preserved in its vaults is one of the rarest illuminated manuscripts of the second half of the 11th century in Europe, the Vyšehrad Codex, which is part of the Czech national treasure. There are twelve globes in the library, which are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Mirror Chapel owes its name to the reflections from precious mirrors, which were amply used in its decoration. Together with the colourful marble, frescoes and gilded stucco, they enhance the beauty of the Baroque architecture. Combined with the excellent acoustics, it enchanted even W. A. Mozart himself, who reportedly could not resist playing the beautiful-sounding organ during his visit to the Clementinum. Baroque library of Klementinum, photo: Martin Faltejsek Another one of Dientzenhofer’s masterpieces is the Church of St. Nicholas on Old Town Square. Due to its impressive height, it was used, among other things, for rope-walking exhibitions held in its dome. In 1791, it bore witness to a stunt by French aerialist Jean-Pierre Blanchard, who crossed a wooden footbridge from one tower to the other. Later, the church served the Orthodox Church until 1914, as indicated by the monumental chandelier in the shape of the Czar’s crown, dedicated by Nicholas II. Since 1920, the premises of the church have been used by the Czechoslovak Hussite Church. Not far from Prague Castle is another Dientzenhofer building, the Loreto pilgrimage site with the Holy House, the Church of the Nativity of the Lord, a treasure chest, a clock tower and the world-famous chimes that ring out the Marian song every hour. It is enshrouded in countless legends and myths relating to the 27 Dutch bells and the curious wooden statue of the Holy Elder. This figure of a crucified girl with a beard in an embroidered shroud, hidden on the side altar of the oldest corner chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows, has inspired many writers and poets since the 17th century. Dientzenhofer constructed more than two hundred buildings in the Czech Republic, which we still admire today. After his death in December 1751, he was buried in the family tomb in the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Karmelitská Street, which now houses the Czech Museum of Music.