Kutná Hora, Czech, Republic

                     

Kutna Hora is a mid-evil town founded in 1142 AD by Cistercian Monks. It became a thriving metropolis due to the mining of silver, and rivaled Prague for the capital of Bohemia.  

Kutna Hora saw the Hussite Wars, a ten year war between the monarch backed Catholic church and followers of a reformist named Jan Hus. 

Kutna Hora has the Sedlec Ossuary or bone church, the Church of St, Barbara and the Church of the Assumption of our Lady and Saint John the Baptist.

The Church of Saint Barbara is named for the patron saint of mining, Barbara. According to legend, she converted to Christianity so her father locked her in a tower. When she would not denounce her faith her had her killed. 

Assumption of our Lady and Saint John the Baptist was first built in the Gothic style in 1300 AD. The church was burned during the Hussite War and was in ruins until the 1708 when it was rebuilt in the Gothic Baroque style.

Church of St. Barbara 

Stained glass in the Church of St.

Barbara. 

Church of St. Barbara

Wall depicting the making of silver coins. Political

prisoners had to be the ones to hold the silver coin

in place while a silversmith stamped the official 

seal on it. Legend says if a prisoner went a whole 

month without getting his or her finger smashed they

would be pardoned. 

 

The Italian Court is where the money

was minted. 

St, Barbara Street along Jesuit College

Assumption of our Lady and Saint John the Baptist

Sedlec Ossuary

Sedlec Ossuary, also known as the bone church is the one thing my second oldest wanted to do on vacation. She loves all things spooky and Halloween-esq. This church did not disappoint, it was surprisingly breath takingly beautiful and not creepy at all.
The Roman Catholic church is built under the Cemetery Church of All Saints. During the crusades, a priest went to the Holy Land. While there he got some dirt from Golgatha and spread it around the grounds of the church, thus the church became holy land. Many people from all over  Central Europe including Turkey and Hungry wanted to be buried there.
After a few centuries, the cemetery became overfilled,so bones of 40,000 to 70,000 people were dug up and stacked in the chapel. The decorating of the chapel was done by a half bling monk.

The spires have skulls and cross

bones

The church is starting to tip, so the foundation

is being reinforced. As they do this, archaeologists

are digging up more bones.

Bones were cleaned and bleached before

being put into the church

Many of the bones belong to people who

died during the Black Plague.