Vlašský dvur / Italian Court - Kutná Hora (Central Bohemia) - Castles on Waymarking.com

Gothic Italian Court (Vlašský dvur), one of key landmarks of UNESCO World Heritage Site - medieval town Kutná Hora, is unique example of former "town" castle, lately reshaped into luxury Royal residence of Czech kings and also serving as Royal mint of Kingdom of Bohemia.

The first reference to the Italian Court (Vlašský dvur) dates back to the mid 13th century. At first it served as a fortified castle that protected an important trade route. Mined silver ore was stored here from the end of the 13th century. In 1300 King Wenceslas II carried out monetary reformation on a grand scale with the help of Italian experts. 17 mints, which had been scattered across the Kingdom, were shut down that and a central royal mint was established in the Italian Court in Kutná Hora. The Italian Court received its name in honour of the specialists from Florence, Italy. Over the next 400 years the Italian Court was the economic heart of the Kingdom of Bohemia. One building housed the mint, central bank and Ministry of Finance. Prague Groshen - one of the "hard currencies" of the Medieval Europe - were minted here for almost 250 years. Groshen were replaced by Tallers later on. Coins were minted in the Italian Court until 1727. A royal palace with a chapel was built here at the end of the 14th century. The Italian Court was a witness to significant events – the Decree of Kutná Hora was signed here in 1409, and Vladislaus Jagiello was elected King of Bohemia here in 1471.

The Italian Court thus remained virtually unchanged until the end of the 18th century, when the mint and the mining office were abolished and the building began to decay. A century passed and the condition was critical, some people even called for its demolition. Eventually in the 1880s, municipal authorities decided to carry out a vast reconstruction project under the direction of the famous architect Ludvík Lábler. That involved mainly the removal of ruined workshops; what remained were the royal palace, the treasury and the chapel that was redecorated in the Art Nouveau style by František and Marie Urban. Despite all transformations, the Italian Court is one of the most valuable monuments of Kutná Hora. Its neo-Gothic reconstruction is a great example of cultural preservation methods and techniques a hundred years ago.

Nowadays you can find here a museum devoted to the mint history. The former royal treasury offers a display of coins, which were minted in the Italian Court. The former royal palace is also accessible to the public, including the royal audience hall and royal Chapel of St. Wenceslas and Ladislaus.