Kutnohorsko Kolínsko Turistická Oblast

Italian Court

Kutná Hora

The Italian Court was rightly called the “jewel” of the crown of the Bohemian monarchs and its charm has survived to this day. The Italian Court is a former royal mint and royal palace, a national cultural monument of European significance with a thousand-year history.

The original fortified residence from the end of the 13th century was rebuilt into a central royal mint by King Wenceslas II in 1300. The coinage reform included the closure of small mints scattered throughout the Czech Kingdom and the introduction of a new coin, the Prague groschen. The production of this currency was concentrated in the vicinity of the richest source of silver in the country – the newly established mint in Vlašský dvůr in Kutná Hora, which thus gained a privileged position in the kingdom. King Wenceslas IV, who liked Kutná Hora and often stayed there, adapted the Vlašský dvůr to the needs of the monarch’s residence – he had the royal palace built, which included his private and representative spaces, and St. Wenceslas Chapel. Many important historical events took place in the new royal residence: in 1409 the Kutná Hora Decree was signed here, in 1444 the future Czech king Jiří of Poděbrady was elected supreme governor of the East Bohemian landfrieds and in 1448 he was elected provincial governor here, in 1471 the young Polish prince Vladislaus the Jagiellonian was elected king of Bohemia here. Later on, the Italian Court gradually began to lose its importance and under the leadership of the architect Ludvík Labler it underwent another extensive and costly reconstruction at the end of the 19th century. The Neo-Gothic rebuilding gave the Italian Court its present appearance and restored the original grandeur, splendour and elegance of the royal residence.

Italian Court now offers three sightseeing routes with interactive elements that will be appreciated not only by children but also by playful adults. Visitors can pick up worksheets at the ticket office, look for the hidden goblins during the tours and explore the exhibitions in a fun and entertaining way. The newly opened cellars offer the Mystery of Lost Silver, where visitors can try out the passage through a mine corridor and also learn about the legend of Kutná Hora on light panels. The Royal Mint contains 160 coins minted in the Kutná Hora Mint. The last room in the exhibition is full of interactive exhibits that you can touch or try out. At the end, you can even take away a hand-stamped Prague groschen. The Royal Palace exhibition is guided and Wednesday tours will be led by a guide in a historical costume. Touch screens were placed in the corridors for the visitors to get to know the significant people of Kutná Hora and the history of the city administration. In the visitor centre and the section called A Quick Trip through the World of Kutná Hora, visitors can rest for a while or get more information about Kutná Hora, local monuments and the course of the project. You can find out more about the Vlašský dvůr on the website of the Kutná Hora Guide Service.

Mapa

V blízkosti
najdete

Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist

Kutná Hora

Chapel of All Saints with ossuary

Kutná Hora

Jesuit College with the Gallery of the Central Bohemian Region

Kutná Hora

The Kačina Chateau and grounds

Kutná Hora

Dačického House

Kutná Hora

St. Barbara´s Cathedral

Kutná Hora

Trips

Gastronomy

Accommodation

Glamour camp in Malesov

Villa U Varhanáře

Hotel Agnes

Penzion Café Havlíček

Dačický Suits

Hotel Mědínek

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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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The Kolín Synagogue

The Kolín synagogue is the largest synagogue built in the Czech Republic until the 18th century, and outside of Prague it is the oldest and most valuable monument of its kind in the country. It was built on the site of an older wooden house of prayer as early as the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries. The inscription of a date on the memorial stone inserted into the eastern façade is the evidence. –

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Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist

A unique UNESCO monument – the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist in Sedlec near Kutná Hora is the convent church of the former oldest Cistercian abbey in Bohemia. Together with the Sedlec ossuary, this church forms a wholesome complex of the oldest part of Kutná Hora. The cathedral was built between 1290 and 1320 and combines North French Gothic cathedral architecture with German elements.

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