Kutná Hora: Historical Town Centre with the Cathedral of St. Barbara and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec
Kutná Hora with its district Sedlec (former independent town) are an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Among the most important buildings in the area are the Gothic, five-naved St. Barbara's cathedral, begun in 1368, and the Italian Court, formerly a royal residence and mint, which was built at the end of the 13th century. The Gothic Stone House, which since 1902 has served as a museum, contains one of the richest archives in the country. The Gothic St. James's Church, with its 83 metre tower, is another prominent building. Sedlec is the site of the Gothic Cathedral of Our Lady and the famous Ossuary.
HIGHLIGHTS OF KUTNÁ HORA and SEDLEC
Vlašský dvur (Italian Court)
Founded as a stronghold already in the late 13th century, it was converted into the main mint of the country. A representative palace was built here for Václav IV, who signed the Kutná Hora Decree here in 1409. The so-called “Prague grosch“ were made in minting workshops in the courtyard until 1547. Nowadays a historical exhibition of the mint and the Felix Jenewein gallery are worth a visit.
Cathedral of St. Barbara
The construction of the church began in 1388 and was completed as late as 1905, and thus a number of outstanding architects took part in it, such as Petr Parlér and his son Jan, Matyáš Rejsek and Benedikt Rejt. The triple-naved cathedral is remarkable for its architecture and is considered a perfect guide to the development of the Gothic art of building in Bohemia. Unique Late Gothic decorative features have been preserved in the interior – dominated by marvellous wall paintings with mining themes and a magnificent main altar made according to original documents between 1901 and 1905.
Hrádek – Czech Museum of Silver
Originally a wooden stronghold from the 13th century, Jan Smíšek of Vrchovište had it adapted in the late 15th century to become a comfortable residence in Renaissance style with large halls, a tower, bay windows and a chapel. Painted ceilings and decorative stones with mining themes have been preserved from this time. Since 1996 the Czech Museum of Silver has been here with an exhibition on the origins and development of Kutná Hora as well as on silver mining and processing technology. Visitors can also see a replica of a mine with equipment and a 250-meter adit of the original medieval mine.
Chapel of Corpus Christi
This two-floor Gothic Chapel dating from the late 14th century combined its function with that of the Church of St. Barbara in the vicinity. A thorough reconstruction between 1997 and 2000 saved the dilapidating building from total destruction. The lower part of the chapel is now a precious example of a completely preserved piece of Bohemian sacred architecture in the secondary Gothic style. A roof terrace with a non-traditional layout offers an impressive view of the town..
Church of St. John of Nepomuk
This is the only new building of Baroque church architecture in Kutná Hora. It was built in the years 1734–1754 in the Late Baroque style according to a project by František Maxmilián Kanka. It was the renowned builder, Kilián Ignác Dienzenhofer, however,who gave the church its final appearance. During communism it was used as a warehouse. Its reconstruction was completed in the year 2000. The remarkable decoration is dominated by a ceiling painting depicting the legend of St. John of Nepomuk by František Xaver Palek.
Kamenný dum (Stone House)
One of the most beautiful and most valuable burgher houses in the Late Gothic style in Bohemia was built as early as the pre-Hussite period: the large cellars and original layout date back to the late 14th century. The richly decorated facade from the 15th century reconstruction is one of the best preserved parts. Nowadays, Kamenný dum hosts an exhibition showing bourgeois culture and life in the 17th – 19th centuries. The so-called black kitchen, restored in its original form as a medieval room, is one of the interesting parts to see.
Sankturinovský dum (Sankturin House)
A Gothic house built in the 13th century as a fortified tower, it is one of the oldest structures in the town. After a big fire in the town in 1770 the house was reconstructed in Baroque style. At present a visitors centre, The Felix Jenewein Gallery and The Museum of Alchemy are situated here.
Ossuary
All Saints´ Church was built in the late 14th century in the middle of a cemetery, where thousands of victims of the plague epidemies in the late 14th century and the following Hussite wars found their last rest here. Relics of about forty thousand deceased were dug up and relocated to the lower part of the chapel after the abandonment of the cemetery began in the late 15th century. A unique form of decoration was made from them as a permanent reminder of the transience of life.
Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady
This impressive five-naved church is part of the Sedlec monastery. It was built between 1280 and 1320 as the first cathedral-type building in Bohemia. The church acquired its current appearance from a design by Jan Blažej Santini-Aichel during grandiose renovations at the turn of the 18th century in the unusual Baroque-Gothic style, unprecedented in Europe. The church was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1995. At the present time, the church is undergoing extensive refurbishment and access is granted only on special ocassions.