Milíč's Jerusalem

In the fourteenth century this street was called Venice and had an ill name, that none but the poor and wicked rabble lived here. At that time Jan Milíč of Kroměříž was active in Prague, a canon of Prague and vice-chancellor of the royal court, who laid down his dignity and by zealous preaching reformed many fallen women. Veleslavín's historical calendar writes of it that Master Jan Milíč was the cause of the house of fallen women called Venice being pulled down in June 1372, the bad women driven out and a little church built on the spot. Out of monetary gifts Milíč built here a house for penitent women with a chapel of Saint Mary Magdalene, which stood where the church of Saint Bartholomew now stands — and the place was spoken of as being in Jerusalem.