Sankturinovský dum / Sankturin House - Kutná Hora (Central Bohemia) - Baroque Architecture on Waymarking.com

The Sankturin House (Sankturinovský dum), originally Gothic palace located at main public space of Kutná Hora - Palackého námestí (Palacký Square), was during years 1787–1793 reshaped into luxury late-Baroque residence.

Origins of the imposing palace with Baroque façade dominating the Palacký square date back to the earliest history of Kutná Hora. According to archaeological findings, a Gothic house used to stand on this location, whose tower was used both for residential and defence purposes, as a silver processing workshop was supposedly situated in the complex. This house was later extended by other buildings, which we know only little about.

A major reconstruction was initiated at the end of the 15th century by the goldsmith Beneš of Trmice who bought the house in 1481. Due to financial difficulties, however, Beneš soon had to sell his beautiful house to Sankturin of Nedvojovice, after whom the building has been named. The most precious part is the intimate chapel on the second floor of the tower. Its rich helical vault dating from just after 1491 is ascribed to Briccius Gauske. A monumental fresco has survived on the chapel wall, depicting the front façade of the palace with landscape, view of the town and a group of people in the background. Interpretation of this fresco and its connection to wall paintings in Smíšek’s Chapel in St. Barbara’s Cathedral is still the object of speculations and hypotheses.

Another significant reconstruction was carried out in 1787–1793, giving rise to the current front façade and the typical attic roof and changing the original Gothic palace to a magnificent burgher house. Nowadays it serves as a cultural and social centre: the ground floor houses the town’s Information Centre, providing visitors with all kinds of information regarding sights, accommodation facilities, cultural events etc; there is a congress centre on the first floor and the Felix Jenewein Gallery with a collection of contemporary art on the second floor. Other premises of the building are used by the Information Centre and the Alchemy Museum.