Kutnohorsko Kolínsko Turistická Oblast

Chapel of All Saints with ossuary

Sedlec – 

Kutná Hora

The Roman Catholic cemetery church of All Saints with an ossuary is part of the former Cistercian abbey in Sedlec, founded as early as 1142.

The cemetery church is a two-storey building of the “charnel” type from the 14th century. In 1278, according to a legend, the cemetery in Sedlec was scattered with dirt brought by monks from Jerusalem, and thus the cemetery became the oldest “Holy Field” in Central Europe and a popular burial place. After the plague of 1318, over 30,000 dead were buried in Sedlec, and another 10,000 dead were buried in the cemetery during the Hussite Wars. According to extant sources, the cemetery in Sedlec occupied an area of 35,000 m2.

At the end of 15. century, most of the graves were removed. The exhumed skeletal remains of about 40,000 dead were placed in the lower chapel of the church, where, according to the legend, a half-blind Sedlec monk in 1511 arranged them in large pyramids. The Josephine reforms led to the abbey’s dissolution at the end of the 18th century and the church came into the possession of the Schwarzenberg family from Orlík, who had the original Baroque skeletal decoration, probably designed by the genius architect Jan Blažej Santini-Aichl, repaired and completed by their carver and master builder František Rint (1870). The cemetery church with the ossuary is a unique cultural and historical monument. Currently, the leaning church building is undergoing a complete renovation, which includes making the outdoor terraces accessible and implementing a new conceptual solution for its visitor traffic while preserving the original legacy of its unique “memento mori” skeletal decoration associated with the hope of resurrection.

For more information about tours and opening times, please visit the website. Tickets in Sedlec cannot be purchased directly at the monuments, but only at the Sedlec information centre at Zámecká Street 279. Ticket office closes 15 minutes before the monuments close!

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Jesuit College with the Gallery of the Central Bohemian Region

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The Kačina Chateau and grounds

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Dačického House

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St. Barbara´s Cathedral

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Discover the surroundings

Dačického House

The Dačický House, located on a sloping square within sight of the Stone Fountain, is a unique exhibit in itself. Inside, there is an interactive exhibition, the first of its kind in the Czech Republic, which introduces the UNESCO organization, the monuments on its list located in the Czech Republic, but above all, it answers the question why Kutná Hora is part of the family of these most important sights of the world!

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St. Peter´s and Pavel´s Church

The church, which is the dominant feature of Čáslav, dates back to the 12th century. It has undergone six centuries of structural modifications to its present form. In 1910, the remains of Jan Žižka of Trocnov were found in the tower chapel. The observation tower is also a great feature for all visitors.

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Čáslav Synagogue

The modern Jewish community in Čáslav began its history in the mid-19th century. At the end of the century, the Jewish inhabitants of Čáslav experienced a period of social and cultural flourishing, which culminated at the turn of the century with the construction of a new synagogue on the former Rudolfova třída (today’s Masaryk Street No. 111).

The municipality approached the prominent Viennese architect Wilhelm Stiassni, who had also participated in the construction of the Jubilee Synagogue in Prague on Jerusalem Street. He designed a synagogue in the Moorish style for Čáslav, which was to replace an older house of prayer documented from the mid-19th century. The plans of this Jewish builder were promptly approved by the Israelite Association and the municipal authority in 1897, but it took two more years before construction began. The possible cause was lack of finance. Not only the inhabitants of Čáslav and its surroundings, but also the Rotschild family in Vienna contributed to the construction. Construction work began on 13. March 1899 and already on 2.9.1899 the ceremonial approval took place.

The Čáslav synagogue is a building of high architectural quality and is protected as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic.

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