CHAPEL OF SAINT ANNE
The originally wooden Chapel of Saint Anne was built in 1517. During its history, it burned down several times, the first time in 1642. It was rebuilt as a stone structure only after 132 years — in 1778, at the request of the married couple Jacob Florian and Maria Catharina Haanl. They submitted their request on 22 November 1777 and had 1,000 gulden available for the construction. The building was completed and approved in 1780, with the final costs exceeding the original budget several times.
Soon afterwards, however, the chapel ceased to be used and was closed in 1783. It was reconsecrated on 21 January 1803 following a petition by Dean Anton Jackel, submitted at the request of several prominent townspeople. During the great town fire on 31 March 1873, the chapel burned down to its outer walls. It was subsequently restored, and its present appearance dates from that reconstruction. The only major element not restored in its original form was the roof. Originally, the chapel had a high dome topped by a tower, and two smaller turrets above the entrance. The most recent restorations took place in 1976 and 1993; during the latter, the building was treated for dry rot and received a new roof and façade.
Bell
The bell in the chapel is 50 cm high with a diameter of 40 cm. It hangs in a wooden frame and is rung by a rope leading up to the gallery. It was cast in 1769 by the Prague bell founder František Frank.
On the relief in the lower part of the bell, the Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus is depicted in ceremonial dress, both wearing crowns. Along the rim runs the Latin inscription: BOHEMIA PROVINCIA BENEDICATUR UT INSIGNIS HUIUS INTERVENTU PIOQUE SUO AUXILIO HOSPITIO ISTI ET TOTI.
Description of the building
The chapel has a rectangular ground plan measuring approximately 12 × 9 metres, with chamfered corners articulated by pilasters. The façade features a plain portal with eared moulding and the date 1778. Above the entrance with a low gable stands a small bell turret with a domed roof.
Interior fittings
Most of the interior furnishings date from after 1875. On the altar stand three wooden statues: Saint Anne with the young Mary, Saint Joachim, and Saint Joseph holding five lilies. They were made in Munich in 1875 in the workshop Mayer’sche Kunstanstalt Wetsch & Weidert. Between the windows are plaster statues of Jesus and the Virgin Mary by an unknown author. A brass sanctuary lamp (for a candle) hangs from the ceiling, and on the wall near the altar there is a bell with a lever and an approximately 150 cm long fabric strap. On the gallery there is a 19-stop harmonium with two keyboards and foot-operated pedals.
Above the gallery is an original fresco commemorating the builder of the chapel. It shows that Jacob Haanl was a respected citizen, as he is referred to here with the title of senator. The inscription reads:
CAPELLAM HANC BEATAE ANNAE IACOBUS HAANL HONESTUS CIVITATIS VALLENSIS SENATOR FIERI FECIT…
The chapel is located at the lower end of Náměstí Republiky (formerly Brottmarkt), the oldest part of Jáchymov. Originally, two squares — Agricola Square and St Anne’s Square — lay behind it, but in the 1950s they were largely filled with waste rock from the uranium mines Josef and Svornost. At the same time, the original buildings, including the old town hall, were demolished and the new Slovany square was created.
Photo gallery: https://mipalfi.rajce.idnes.cz/Kaple_sv._Anny/
