Bucket list item #16 DONE

A 90 minute drive east from Prague is a small town called Kutná Hora (Kutná from the German Gut = Good, Hora = Hill).  It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so appointed for its importance as a political and economic center during the 14th and 15th centuries.  Originally established as a silver mining town, under King Václav II, Kutná Hora eventually housed a royal mint, striking silver coins for the entire Czech nation.

 

Exterior views of the Italian Palace, known as the Royal Mint of the Czech nation under King Václav II.

Each of the little sealed windows and doors behind the benches were individual workshops or "smithies".  Here is where hand-selected, highly skilled and trained craftsmen struck the coins that were used as currency in each of their individual regions.

Interior view of Italian Palace courtyard

(just because I liked the shot)

It seems that there was a very strong rivalry between Prague and Kutná Hora.  Whatever Prague had, Kutná Hora had to have the same or (preferably) better. St Barbara’s Cathedral is a Gothic style church meant originally to rival the size of Prague’s St Vitus Cathedral but fell short by about 50 meters - interest, funds and need all waned before the construction was complete.  The organ has 7,000 pipes and is wind-driven, not motorized.  It is played only twice a year - once at the beginning of December on the feast of St Barbara and once at Christmas so I guess we missed both.  The stained glass windows, reworked in the early 20th century in Art Nouveau style, lend a decorative and modern style to the cathedral *Remember, St Vitus Cathedral has the same style stained glass windows.

St Cyril -he is responsible for bringing the Cyrillic alphabet to Eastern Europe.  Thanks heaps, St Cyril.

Stunning, even in B&W

7 000 pipes, just imagine the sound!

The Charles Bridge in Prague is lined with statuary as is the corridor along the walkway from St Barbara’s.  I am reminded of the song “Anything you can do” from Annie, Get Your Gun!

St Barbara's Cathedral in silhouette against a cold, winter sky.

Statues to rival Prague's line the left side of this walkway.

Now sealed, the bottom of this tiny "corner balcony" was once open to the street below.  It was used as a way for guests in the banquet hall to "do their business" while still conducting business with those in the social gathering.  Nobody walked underneath that corner when there was a gathering of people in the banquet hall.

No visit to Kutná Hora is complete without a visit to the Sedlec Ossuary.  Ossuary?  Cassowary?  No, an ossuary is NOT a bird.  os·su·ar·y/ˈäSHo͞oˌerē/ noun: a container or room into which the bones of dead people are placed.  Yup, bones of the dead, baby!  The Sedlec Ossuary is adorned with the bleached and cleaned bones of nearly 40 000 human skeletons, placed in 1870 by Frantisek Rindt, a local woodcarver.

For those of you who don’t know about this side of me, I’m fascinated by skeletons and ossuaries.  I have a ball in the Paris Catacombs. 
Don’t ask. 
Don’t judge.
Just look...if you dare.