The history of St. Margaret's Chapel is closely intertwined with the development of the Žďár nad Sázavou chateau grounds, dating back to the early Middle Ages. The first written records of a sacred building on this site, then mentioned as St. Margaret's Chapel by the gate, originate from 1352. This early existence already attests to the spiritual significance of the location, which initially served as a wooden structure for the first Cistercian monastery.
The original Gothic church, a stone rectangular building, underwent a significant transformation in the early 18th century. The Baroque reconstruction of St. Margaret's Chapel was the first important undertaking of the future Abbot Václav Vejmluva. This transformation began in 1700, with the aim of creating an octagonal layout. According to historical records, Jan Spineti de Angeli, a prominent builder from Kutná Hora, was entrusted with the construction. It was here, while still the monastery's financial administrator, that Vejmluva learned how to work effectively with craftsmen and how collaboration with an architect proceeds.
The construction work on St. Margaret's Chapel proceeded with diligence and the involvement of many artisans. From period records, we know that the "paumajstr" (likely the foreman) received a weekly wage of 1 gold coin and 30 kreutzers. The masons who worked under his guidance in 1701 earned a total of 387 gold coins and 53 kreutzers. The hod carriers, who spent two years working on the small church with them, later moved on to work on the new monastery gate. The total cost for masons, hod carriers, and carpenters during that period amounted to 564 gold coins and 34 kreutzers, illustrating the scale and complexity of the project. It was based on his acquired experience here that Vejmluva later freely built upon during his crucial collaboration with the brilliant architect Jan Santini Aichel in the construction of the unique Church of St. John of Nepomuk at Zelená hora (Green Hill).
Although the Baroque reconstruction imprinted a new character on the chapel, only a part of the original form has been preserved after a fire and subsequent modifications – the perimeter walls that formed the inner nave. Cloisters once arched around this nave, the vaults of which can still be admired today in the kitchenettes of the apartments on the first floor. The front wall with its stone window frames, a silent witness to Baroque elegance, remains from the outer shell. The ground plan of the original church is symbolically marked for visitors by outdoor paving.
The chapel was consecrated to Saint Margaret, a revered saint of the Middle Ages. Her story of faith, refusal of marriage, and victory over evil is also reflected in the logo of St. Margaret's Chapel, where the letter "M," a small crown, and a dragon symbolize her attributes.
