I have been twice in the town of Kutná Hora, situated in the valley of the river Vrchlice, that forms also with a precipice the historic centre, divided in Upper and Lower Town. Because of the exploitation of his silver mines it was prosperous from the 13th to the 15th century and became the mint of the kings, that often frequented it and transformed it in one of the most important economic centres of the state. It recovered from the destructions of the hussites wars and from a fire, but the geographical discoveries, after that a lot of silver came from the american mines at lower cost, caused its decline. The most important building is the stunning church of St. Barbara, constructed with the financing of the miners by Peter Parler, Matěj Rejsek and Benedikt Ried. It began as a group of eight radial chapels with trapezoidal interiors arranged in horshoe form separated by trihedral piers with a central axial pillar. Then, after the Hussite Wars, were also added five naves and outer chapels. Then were constructed the choir, supported with double-arched fliying buttresses, and the presbitery. Finally were reconstructed the vaults and the roof. In the 19th century were constructed the facade, the portal and painted the coats of arms on the vaults. Inside you can admire beautiful frescos, glass windows, altars, pulpits and choir stalls. By the church begins the St. Barbara Street with the Chapel of Corpus Christi and the long building of the Jesuitic college, projected by Giovanni Domenico Orsi, which goes to the castle, that has a tower with vaults, nice oriels of the two chapels and the Room of the Riders, with frescos. Near that it is erected so called Italian Court, a big Gothic (reconstructed in the 19th century) mint and residence of the minters, that for some period was also used like a royal palace, with a court, a tower, a privat royal chapel (with a nice choir, statues and altars), some rooms for hearing and receivings with nice ceilings. Adjacent to that is the church of St. James with a tower 82 m high, original furniture and a painting by Johann Peter Brandl, and remains of the fortifications. In a quiet square of the centre is the beautiful Gothic Stone Fountain, projected by Rejsek and the church of St. John of Nepomuk, projected by František Maxmilián Kaňka with nice frescos by Franz Xaver Palko and Josef Redelmayer and statues. Near that, near the nice Square of Palacký and the Street of George of Poděbrady, is also the column of the Virgin. Other churches were constructed in the historic centre: the church of the Ursuline convent,projected by Dientzenhofer, and St. Mary “na Námìtí”. Beautiful are the Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and classical houses in the centre: the Stone House, a decorated Gothic building, the archdeaconry, the Riders' House, the Prince's House and the Sankturini's House. In the quarter of Sedlec is the cathedral of Our Lady, part of a cistercian monastery, constructed in Gothic style, after it was destructed by the Hussites, and reconstructed by P. I. Bayer and Jan Blažej Santini Aichel in his personal style of Gothicizing Baroque. It has five naves, a pentahedral apse, nice vaults, frescos by Johann Jacob Steinfels and paintings by Brandl.

I liked very much this town because of the beauty of its architecture even if the most important monuments were closed when I went there. It's absolutely worth to be visited and justifies the inscription, also because its historical importance, even if could be inscribed also the ossuary of Sedlec.

Photo: Kutná Hora - Church of St. Barbara