Madonna of Zahrazany

Origins unknown, later in the convent of St. Magdalene, Zahrazany, Most. A Madonna is a representation of Mary, either alone or with her child Jesus. These images are central icons for both the Catholic and Orthodox churches. The word is from Italian ma donna, meaning 'my lady'. The Madonna and Child type is very prevalent in Christian iconography, divided into many traditional subtypes especially in Eastern Orthodox iconography, often known after the location of a notable icon of the type, such as the Theotokos of Vladimir, Agiosoritissa, Blachernitissa, etc., or descriptive of the depicted posture, as in Hodegetria, Eleusa, etc. Located in the Convent of Saint Agnes of Bohemia (Klášter svaté Anežky České), located in the Old Town, Prague, in an area called Na Františku. It was founded in 1231 by princess Agnes (later known as Saint Agnes of Bohemia), sister of King Wenceslas I. She herself became the first abbess of the monastery in the Order of Saint Clare. The first women came to the convent in autumn 1233 – five nuns from Italian Assisi and seven Bohemian noble-girls. They belonged to the Poor Clares (also called The Order of Poor Ladies) founded by Saints Clare of Assisi and Francis of Assisi in 1212 on Franciscan principles. This was the first convent of the Order of Poor Clares north of the Alps.