The romantic Pilařova Street, located in the historic centre of Kroměříž, connects Assembly Square (Sněmovní náměstí) with Masaryk Square. It is named after Adolf Pilař, who served in the 18th century as the rector of the Kroměříž Piarist College, which was part of the Piarist Grammar School. In the 17th to 19th centuries, this institution was one of the most important secondary schools in Bohemia and Moravia.
It is one of the most picturesque streets in the historic city centre, currently home to two important secondary schools: the Archbishop’s Grammar School and the P. J. Vejvanovský Conservatory. In the past, the Piarist Grammar School was also located here, in a Baroque building on the corner of Pilařova and Jánská Streets.
The Archbishop’s Grammar School forms a link between the chateau and the Church of St. Maurice. It was re-established after the Velvet Revolution in 1990/1991. It is a large complex with two interior courtyards, housing not only classrooms, offices, and school facilities but also a dormitory for students from farther away. Interestingly, the building is historically connected by a corridor to both the chateau and the Church of St. Maurice.
Construction of the Church of St. Maurice began in the second half of the 13th century, initiated by Bishop Bruno of Schauenburg. However, in the masonry of the oldest sections, even older stone blocks were discovered. This early Gothic church features a rectangular floor plan framed by two towers. Construction continued until the late 16th century. During that time, the church was twice looted by the Hussites, and later underwent reconstruction after damage sustained during the Thirty Years’ War. Its founder, Bishop Bruno, was buried beneath the main altar in 1281.
In the Baroque building of the former 17th-century Piarist College—directly adjacent to the Church of St. John the Baptist—you’ll find the P. J. Vejvanovský Conservatory, which has been located here since 1950.
