St. Giles' Church, Gothic church of Romanesque origin in Old Town, Prague, Czech Republic

St. Giles' Church is a Gothic three-nave church of Romanesque origin on Old Town Square's edge, its walls pale yellow over grey stone, with a red tiled roof and a small dark cupola. The south tower carries a round black clock with gold Roman numerals and a steep dark spire; the west front shows the coats of arms of bishops Jan IV of Dražice and Arnošt of Pardubice.

A Romanesque church is first documented in 1238, when Bishop Jan II of Dražice founded a collegiate chapter beside it. From 1339 Bishop Jan IV of Dražice had it rebuilt in Gothic form as a three-nave hall with two west towers, work continued by Archbishop Arnošt of Pardubice; it was consecrated on 4 May 1371. A lightning strike on 28 June 1432 burned the whole roof and melted the bells.

Since 7 May 1625, when Ferdinand II handed the church to the Dominicans, the order has served it and the adjoining four-wing monastery. The church is also the parish church of Prague's Polish parish, whose patron has been St John Paul II since 27 April 2014. Look for the frescoes by V. V. Reiner of 1734–1735 glorifying the order.

The church stands in Old Town between Husova, Jilská, Jalovcová and Zlatá streets, entered from Jilská. The monastery complex is a working Dominican priory, so parts beyond the church are closed to visitors. The south tower holds the bells; the west front carries the coats of arms of bishops Jan IV of Dražice and Arnošt of Pardubice above the entrance.

The fresco above the main altar shows St. Giles with a wounded hind, and the painter had a hollow with artificial stalagmites built into the vault so it resembles a cave; a window at its top lets in daylight. The church also holds the oldest bell in Prague, "Jiljí", weighing about 2,800 kg and recast in 1437 by the bell-founder Jeroným after a lightning fire melted the originals.