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 Pineda (KmP) (2 months ago)
Nice architecture and historical church. Close to the train station and other touristic places around

Ana Mejia (4 months ago)
Stunning entrance and big structure. Worthy to visit if you are in kutna Hora

Antonio Castillo Frias (4 months ago)
I cant understhand how is required to pay for entering.... Avoid the visit

David Dancey (7 months ago)
A large cathedral on the outskirts of Kutna Hora This is a large church that is near to the famous Sedlec Ossuary. However, while the interior of the church is large and impressive, the decorations seem rather sparse and there are probably more impressive churches nearby or in other regions. If you are feeling church fatigue this one may not be for you. However if you are interested in seeing different churches this is worth looking at.

Niels Borgonjen (7 months ago)
Historically important and worth visiting. I love that this was in our multiple entrance ticket (Kutna hora cathedral, bone church and this one). I was pleasantly surprised by the works of art in this church.

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