The Jesuit College - Kutná Hora, Czech Republic - Picture Perfect Postcards on Waymarking.com

The Jesuit College in Kutná Hora is a Baroque building from 1667-1750, designed by Giovanni Domenico Orsi, an important Italian architect based in Prague.

Already in 1624, Ferdinand II confirmed the construction of the church by the architect Giovanni Orsi. Habsburg intention to build a Jesuit college in Kutná Hora. The Jesuits came to non-Catholic Kutná Hora at the invitation of the supreme mintmaster and reformation commissioner Vilém Ilburk of Vresovice in 1626. However, the site for the college was not designated until the Emperor's decree of 18 April 1633. Rather uncharacteristically, the college was not located in the centre of the town, but behind the walls in the area between Hrádek and St. Barbara's Cathedral, undoubtedly because it would have been impossible to build a college of the planned size in the centre of the town without the costly purchase of town houses and their subsequent demolition.

As in other towns, the Jesuits initially used converted burgher houses for their activities and prepared the construction of their own college mainly by raising the necessary funds. Already on 1 October 1666 the future building was surveyed and on 8 May the foundation stone was laid. However, the construction progressed very slowly due to lack of funds. It was not until 1 November 1678 that the Jesuits were able to move into the north wing. Orsi founded the building very thoroughly, including the system for the drainage of groundwater and sewage. The earth excavated during the construction of the north wing was used to level the ground along the east wing and to create a terrace for the later gallery of statues of saints. After Orsi's death (1679), the construction was continued according to the original plan by Carlo Luraga's building firm. The east wing of the college is 180 m long and is divided by 33 window axes. In 1716, the corner tower opposite St Barbara's Church was completed, but the planned south wing was not realised.

Physical Address: Barborská Kutná Hora, Czech Republic Related Web Site: [Web Link] Description of Postcard Location: The Jesuit College Parking Coordinates: Not Listed

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