| Kutna Hora & Ossuary in Sedlec:
Vlassky dvur (Italian Court) in Kutna Hora
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 Vaclav IV, who signed the Kutna 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.
Church of St. Barbara in Kutna Hora
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 Parler and his son Jan, Matyas 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.
Hradek in Kutna Hora - Czech Museum of Silver
Originally a wooden stronghold from the 13th century, Jan Smisek of Vrchoviste 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 Kutna 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 in Kutna Hora
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 in Kutna Hora
This is the only new building of Baroque church architecture in Kutna Hora. It was built in the years 1734-1754 in the Late Baroque style according to a project by Frantisek Maxmilian Kanka. It was the renowned builder, Kilian Ignac 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 Frantisek Xaver Palek.
Kamenny dum (Stone House) in Kutna Hora
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, Kamenny 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.
Sankturinovsky dum (Sankturin House) in Kutna Hora
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 in Kutna Hora - Sedlec
All Saint's 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.
Church of the Assumption of Our Lady in Kutna Hora - Sedlec
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 Blazej 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.
Museum of Tobacco in Kutna Hora - Sedlec
The museum is situated in the refectory and Baroque chapel of the former Cistercian monastery. After the monastery was closed in 1783, the building was used for the production of tobacco, and the factory is still there to this day. The Museum of Tobacco maps out the history of tobacco growing and the development of the cigarette factory in Kutna Hora.
Tyluv dum (Tyl's House) in Kutna Hora
The birthplace of Josef Kajetan Tyl, an actor and playwright (1808-1856), used to be called U Zlateho hrebene (The Golden Comb). It acquired its current appearance during reconstruction which had to be made after a big fire in the town in 1823. The current exhibition here is dedicated to Tyl's life and work.
|
