The church of St. Kliment is located between the streets of Klimentská, Nové Mlýny and Novomlýnská in Prague’s New Town. It ranks amongst the oldest of Prague’s sanctuaries. It is very likely, according to the opinion of Dr. Václav Huml, who carried out the archaeological research here (completed in 1977), that this church was, besides Vyšehrad, the oldest on the right side of the Vltava River. It was constructed in the 11th century as part of the general suburban expansion in an area reserved for German settlers. The historical documents refer to this church as being from 1226. It later became a parish church and included in its jurisdiction the school, the vicarage and two cemeteries. In the 14th century the roman church was demolished and replaced with a new single-aisled gothic building with a tower on the north side of its presbytery. Under the rule of Josef II, the church was discontinued and it became a storehouse.
The church was again resuscitated in 1850, when it was purchased by the Czech Evangelistic Church of the Helvetian denomination. In 1893 – 1894 the church underwent radical puritanical renovation, initiated by the architect František Mikš. Further reconstruction was carried out in 1975-1981.
This significant steeple is still an integral part of the church today and stands at 39m high. The steeple used to be a lot smaller than it is today. The previously mentioned renovation at the end of the 19th century gave the steeple its present appearance. The steeple walls were raised by 5.5m and were fixed with a new structure and partitions. The gold-plated cupola with a star on the top, made of embossed copper, was adjusted. A lightening conductor was installed and after all the tin work was done the roof was covered with slates. The steeple has four floors and a square floor projection (6.2m x 6.2m). The room on the ground floor has a ribbed vault and is used as a vestry. Inside, the “snail” stairs lead up to the second floor, which is followed by stairs up to the steeple.
