Saint Zdislava was born into a Moravian noble family around 1220. She was known to be a preciously religious child.

In 1237 she married Havel of Lemberk, a highly ranked member of the prosperous Markvart family. Havel went on to found Lemberk castle in 1240, close to the Czech/Polish border, and was acknowledged to have played a significant role in the defence of Bohemia against the invading Mongol forces in 1241. He was also the founder of the town of Turnov in Český ráj, together with his brother Jaroslav.

Zdislava became famous for her charity and support of refugees fleeing from Poland during the Mongol wars. Together with her husband Havel, she founded a Dominican convent in Turnov and also Jablonné v Podještědí, where she worked until her death in 1252. She was buried at the convent in Jablonné.

The convent in Jablonné survived the religious wars of the 15th century, but the Turnov convent did not. It was destroyed by the army of the famous Hussite general Jan Žižka in 1424, on his way to the Lusatian region.

Zdislava was canonized by Pope John Paul II during his visit to the Czech Republic in 1995. For more information on St. Zdislava see the following site (in Czech).