Franciscan Garden, Prague

The Franciscan Garden is a historic park in New Town district of Prague in the Czech Republic. Originally known as the Carmelite Garden of Our Lady of the Snows, it was created during the founding of the New Town in 1348 under the reign of Charles IV as King of Bohemia. It was known as the Franciscan Garden by 1604 when the monastery, originally Carmelite, became property of the Order of the Discalced Franciscans. Later, following the expulsion and internment of the Franciscans by the ruling communist party, it was opened to the public in 1950. While the monastery itself was returned, the gardens have since been owned by the municipal district of Prague 1 (except for a small, private section returned to the Franciscans), open year-round but closed at night. The garden has also been restored multiple times over the centuries - most recently, between 1989 and 1992, using designs from architect Josef Kuča and incorporating sculptures from Czech academic sculptors Stanislav Hanzík and Josef Klimeš.