Church of Our Lady, Kutná Hora, Czech Republic

The Church of the Assumption of Our Lady and Saint John the Baptist is a Gothic and Baroque Gothic church in Kutná Hora. It is listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List together with the Chapel of All Saints and its ossuary and other monuments in Kutná Hora. It is one of the most important Czech Gothic buildings built in the time of the very last Přemyslids and also a very important and one of the oldest examples of the Baroque Gothic style.

The church was built first in the Gothic style around 1300 as one of the first High Gothic building in the Kingdom of Bohemia and as the first church in the kingdom resembling French Gothic cathedrals. It was built on the place of an older church and was a part of the Cistercians Sedlec Abbey, which was the oldest Cistercian abbey in the Czech lands founded in 1142. The abbey was burnt down by the Hussites in 1421 and the church became a ruin for the next two centuries.

In 1700 the abbot of the Sedlec Abbey Jindřich Snopek decided to rebuild the old church. The reconstruction was conducted by the architect Pavel Ignác Bayer. After three years the new architect became Jan Blažej Santini-Aichel who had worked for the Cistercians already in Zbraslav. He completed the reconstruction of the church in his original style called Baroque Gothic. His most impressive works in the church are the amazing vaults and front wall of the church with its antechamber decorated with the statues by Matěj Václav Jäckel. The church was consecrated in 1708.

Although the church was rebuilt in the early 18th century his eastern part with side chapels, choir and transept should have preserved its original appearance from outside.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Kevin Bradshaw (2 years ago)
Absolutely fascinating and I’m so gleam I finally made it here. It only took ten years, but I can honestly it was worth it. The train journey was about an hour in which you get to witness the glorious Czech countryside and we did so in the snow. What a sight! The church itself is beautiful, but it’s the information supplied that really brings it all to life. To bare witness to something many of hundred years old is really quite special. All in all, you MUST see this place. The town also is nice with many friendly people. 5/5.

Ranjith Kizhakoodan Rajan (3 years ago)
Close to sedlec ossuary.though people visit ossuary and tend to go back without noticing this church ....but I would say this church is worth visiting though you feel from outside its just an another Czech church .this church also have long old story to tell you right from its construction .its got huge altar and some here special is you can visit roof of the church ...you may find my photos for that ..it's something you not see usual

Gr Ace (3 years ago)
A very beautiful Cathedral. You must go upstairs as it gives you a better view. The spiral staircase is so nice and it gives you a chance to go through the attick. From there, you will see the beautiful pillars of the church.

Martin Beránek (3 years ago)
I remember the time this was run down old church, now it is renovated old church with huge historical value. City did a great job to promote the place and make it a tourist destination. Good job!

Ben Park (3 years ago)
Very nice historic church. Very bright church. The first church I've been to where you can see the roof and above the vaulted ceilings.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright beyondhue

Historic Site of the week

Lednice Castle

The first historical record of Lednice locality dates from 1222. At that time there stood a Gothic fort with courtyard, which was lent by Czech King Václav I to Austrian nobleman Sigfried Sirotek in 1249.

At the end of the 13th century the Liechtensteins, originally from Styria, became holders of all of Lednice and of nearby Mikulov. They gradually acquired land on both sides of the Moravian-Austrian border. Members of the family most often found fame in military service, during the Renaissance they expanded their estates through economic activity. From the middle of the 15th century members of the family occupied the highest offices in the land. However, the family’s position in Moravia really changed under the brothers Karel, Maximilian, and Gundakar of Liechtenstein. Through marriage Karel and Maximilian acquired the great wealth of the old Moravian dynasty of the Černohorskýs of Boskovice. At that time the brothers, like their father and grandfather, were Lutheran, but they soon converted to Catholicism, thus preparing the ground for their rise in politics. Particularly Karel, who served at the court of Emperor Rudolf II, became hetman of Moravia in 1608, and was later raised to princely status by King Matyas II and awarded the Duchy of Opava.

During the revolt of the Czech nobility he stood on the side of the Habsburgs, and took part in the Battle of White Mountain. After the uprising was defeated in 1620 he systematically acquired property confiscated from some of the rebels, and the Liechtensteins became the wealthiest family in Moravia, rising in status above the Žerotíns. Their enormous land holdings brought them great profits, and eventually allowed them to carry out their grandious building projects here in Lednice.

In the 16th century it was probably Hartmann II of Liechtenstein who had the old medieval water castle torn down and replaced with a Renaissance chateau. At the end of the 17th century the chateau was torn down and a Baroque palace was built, with an extensive formal garden, and a massive riding hall designed by Johann Bernard Fischer von Erlach that still stands in almost unaltered form.

In the mid-18th century the chateau was again renovated, and in 1815 its front tracts that had been part of the Baroque chateau were removed.

The chateau as it looks today dates from 1846-1858, when Prince Alois II decided that Vienna was not suitable for entertaining in the summer, and had Lednice rebuilt into a summer palace in the spirit of English Gothic. The hall on the ground floor would serve to entertain the European aristocracy at sumptuous banquets, and was furnished with carved wood ceilings, wooden panelling, and select furniture, surpassing anything of its kind in Europe.

Do you know an ancient castle or magnificent church near you?

Why not share it with other people interested in history? You can add your own historic sites and attractions to SpottingHistory.com.

It's absolutely free, easy, and doesn't even need registration!

Upload data

Church of Our Lady

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

History of Guernsey & Jersey

Most beautiful castles in Lithuania

Cultural Landscape of Sintra, Portugal

Historic Site of the week

Lednice Castle

Looks like you are a history fan!