The Cathedral of St. Barbara was founded around 1380 and is one of the most valuable monuments of the Gothic style in Bohemia.

Peter Parléř organized the construction, which was completed in 1420, when the cathedral chancel with a circle of chapels was built. Construction was later interrupted by the Hussite wars and only after they ended was the construction of the cathedral able to continue. Matthias Rejsek and Benedict Rejt were among those who participated in its completion. In the mid-16th century, the town grew poor and decided to halt construction, as was increasingly difficult to finance.

In 1626, the Jesuits came to Kutná Hora. They took over the cathedral and began its reconstruction. They made a few Baroque changes in the interior, and the ridge roof that replaced the original tent roof and the gallery connecting the cathedral with the Jesuit college changed the exterior look.

The Restoration at the end of the 19th century provided its present-day look. The most important purist architects Ludvík Lábler and Josef Mocker paricipated in this reconstruction.

The oldest is the decoration of the chapel of the mint masters with lively iconographic motifs of the local mint masters’ work. The unique decoration of the Smíškov chapel shows space and landscape in perfect perspective0, on the portal the donators and motifs of still life are depicted.

The oldest monastery of the Cistercians in Bohemia was originated in 1142 in Sedlec.

The later discovery of silver ore, attributed to the monk Antonio from the Sedlec monastery, brought fame and wealth not only to Kutná Hora, which grew up near Sedlec, but also gave financial means for the construction of the monumental Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady in Sedlec. This grand five-nave basilica was the first building of the French cathedral style in Bohemia.

In 1421, the cathedral with the monastery perished after a fire during a Hussite attack. Giovanni B. Santini gave it its present-day look at the turn of the 18th century. Here he presented a new style – Baroque Gothic, which has no equal elsewhere in Europe. It combines both styles in an interesting symbiosis. The period of prosperity did not last long. In 1783, the Cistercian  monastery was abolished by Emperor Joseph II, the cathedral was desecrated and used as the flour stock. In 1812, tobacco production came here and since that time the former abbey has been closed to the public.

The Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady was included in the UNESCO list in 1995.

For further information:
http://www.kutnahora.cz

Tags: Cathedral of St. Barbara, Kutná Hora, UNESCO