Private guide in PRAGUE and Kutná Hora
KUTNÁ HORA
Kutná
Hora, situated about 65 km from Prague, this mediaeval city
has origins from the first part of the 13th century. After
Prague it was the most important town in Bohemia, having become the
most preferred temporary residence of several Czech kings and
also a mint for the "Prague Penny" ("Groš").
Kutná Hora was declared as world heritage site, and since 1995 it
has been protected by UNESCO. Our guide will show you the most
important buildings and places - the St. Barbora's Cathedral, the
Ossuary(Bone House), and the Italian Court.
History of Kutná Hora
The
mining of silver enabled the town to prosper from the 13th to 15th
centuries. At one time, the mine in Kutná Hora was the deepest in
the world, and its silver was exported to one-third of Europe. This
is where the Czech currency, the Prague groschen, was forged in the
Middle Ages. While the mines and town were decimated during the
Hussite wars of the 1420s and later during the Thirty Years’ War,
the mining era in Kutná Hora was far from over. It even operated
from World War II to 1991.
The Cathedral of Saint Barbara
Kutná
Hora has more to offer than just mining. Perhaps the highlight of the
town is Saint Barbara’s Cathedral, named after the miners’ patron
saint. Built in 1338 and, after many interruptions, finished in 1905,
the cathedral boasts many Baroque works of art, including three
Baroque chapels, as well as late Gothic frescoes associated with
mining. Its outer buttresses and gargoyles complement a Neo-Gothic
façade. The oldest piece in the three-nave structure is the statue
of Our Lady Enthroned, hailing from 1380. Stained glass windows are
much more recent, dating from the end of the 19th century and
beginning of the 20th century. Look closely and notice the cathedral
in the background of two of the exquisite windows. The late Gothic
décor of the frescoes dotting the cathedral comes from the end of
the 15th century. In the Mint Chapel frescoes depict miners striking
Prague groschen with mallets.
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The Cathedral of Saint Barbara
Hrádek
or The Small Castle – Now The Silver Museum
Hrádek
or the Little Castle, now housing the Silver Museum, is located in
the center of Kutná Hora and dates back to 1312 or earlier. It
became a stone fortified castle palace before being reconstructed
into a family residence at the end of the 15th century. At that
time, under the ownership of entrepreneur Jan Smíšek, it was one of
the earliest examples of the Renaissance in Bohemia. The extravagant
building was decorated in Jagiellonian Gothic style with large halls,
a three-floor tower, high gables and chapels. Mining motifs and
painted ceilings added to the stunning décor. Then the owners
of the Little Castle changed many times, and during the late 17th and
18thcenturies the place was used as a Jesuit seminary and school.
Hrádek underwent Gothic renovations in the 1950s and 1990s.
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| Hrádek The Silver Museum |
The
Ossuary or Bone Church in Sedlec
Sedlec,
the All Saints Chapel goes back to the 14th century while the
cemetery, hailing from the 13th century, is the resting place of many
plague victims and fallen soldiers from the Hussite wars. In 1511 a
half-blind monk piled bones from abolished graves into pyramids. The
Schwarzenberg clan purchased the ossuary and surrounding area in
1784, after architect Jan Santini Blažej-Aichel has done the
renovation in his unique Baroque Gothic style. The Schwarzenbergs had
the idea to put the bones and skulls of the 40,000 bones into various
shapes, such as a large chandelier, a Gothic tower, a chalice and the
Schwarzenberg coat-of- arms with bones depicting a severed Turk’s
head and a raven. Skulls from soldiers during the Hussite wars of the
1420s are also on display in this unique, impressive space.
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| The Ossuary |
Other Sights
There
are still more sights in the town. Dramatically leading up to the
cathedral from the former Jesuit College, which is now an Art Museum
GASK, are 12 statues of saints, constructed from 1650 to 1716.
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| The former Jesuit College |
Official
website : http://www.gask.cz/en
Visit Prague and Kutná Hora with private
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