JAN MILÍČ FROM KROMĚŘÍŽ

The first painting of the triptych "The Charm of the Word"

Jan Milicz came from a burgher family in Kromeriz. During his life, he served as a notary in the royal office at Prague Castle of Charles IV, later becoming royal a vice-chancellor and canon at St. Vitus Cathedral. Jan Milicz realized that many high dignitaries, both secular and ecclesiastical, lived a sinful life, becoming role models for ordinary people. He was inspired by the preaching of Konrad Waldhauser and the teachings of Francis of Assisi, renouncing his lucrative positions and choosing the path of humility and poverty.

In 1372, Jan Milicz accomplished an unusual feat. Many women, who earned their living by prostitution in Prague, decided to repent after listening to his sermons. Milicz asked the king for permission to purchase a place where the brothel called Venice was located in the Old Town. He simultaneously acquired several plots of land where he built a chapel and a convent for women, which he named New Jerusalem.

The painting captures the remnants of the former brothel and a crowd of people witnessing the event. On the left is a part of the old Gothic building on today's Konviktská Street in Prague. In the foreground, under the scaffolding of the newly built shelter, Jan Milicz is seen praying with women, depicted as a figure in violet standing behind a supporting column. The women listen to his words and lay aside their jewelry. A woman with covered mouth symbolizes repentance.