Cathedral of St. Barbara or, as it is also called, the Church of St. Barbara is one of the oldest and most famous monuments of European Gothic culture. It is located in the Czech Republic. Among all such buildings, the Cathedral stands out for its unusual appearance and huge size.
Appearance story
Judging by the preserved historical documents, the history of St. Barbara Cathedral began in the distant 1388. The fourteenth century was a time of formation and development of not only culture and religion, but also industry. In the city of Kutna Hora, Czech Republic, active development of silver mines was carried out. People came to work from all over Europe, and it was at that time that the city began to grow. It was decided to begin the construction of the church, where residents could come at any time in order to make a prayer or relax with their souls.
However, construction work stopped in 1558 due to the closure of mines. The western part of the cathedral, which was being built at that time, was fenced with just a temporary wooden wall.
In 1626, the cathedral again saw the builders. This time, however, the actions were only supportive in nature. The building was transferred to the Order of the Jesuits, who built a nearby college. But there was a fire that severely damaged part of the cathedral. The Order decided to make changes, and in the first place a roof was built in the then popular Baroque style.
According to some reports, initially the Cathedral of St. Barbara in Kutna Hora was conceived twice as much as it is now. At the end of the 19th century, a local archaeological organization initiated a project to reconstruct the building. Permission has been obtained. Restoration work has begun. The western part of the building was enlarged, a neo-Gothic facade was built. The old baroque roof was replaced by a Gothic tent, which is almost a copy of the original version.
The legend of the appearance of the cathedral
Among the people there is one interesting legend related to the idea of building a cathedral in Kutna Hora, Czech Republic. Once in the mine there was a gathering of rock, which failed three coal miners. Everyone began to pray. The first coal miner thought about seeing the white light once more and that he could die in peace. The second asked for another day of life, since he did not have time to say goodbye to his family. And the third said: "Lord, give me only one year of life so that I can do something good." The miners' prayers were heard by Saint Barbara and pulled them out of the rubble. The first saw the light and died immediately. Another was given a day, after which he, having said goodbye to relatives, left this world. The third Barbara was given the year during which he built the cathedral and named it after the saint. Legend has it that Barbara liked the structure so much that she freed the coal miner from death and gave him the opportunity to live as long as he wanted.
Construction managers
The man who designed the initial version of St. Barbara's Cathedral in Kutna Hora was called Jan Parler. He was a successor to the family dynasty of builders, since his father was none other than Peter Parler, the architect of St. Vitus Cathedral. Under the leadership of Jan Parlerge, the oldest part of the building was erected.
After the death of Parleger Jr., the construction was headed by the famous architect Matei Reisek. He worked on the construction of almost seventeen years until his death and managed to establish a choir, basilica windows, as well as network arches. According to the project, Reisek worked until 1509 and introduced magnificent Gothic decor into the design of the cathedral.
In 1512, Benedict Reith came to the management of construction, and for the cathedral this meant a radical change. The architect was not satisfied with the initial plan and made his own adjustments by adding two high side naves.
Construction progress
Construction dragged on for more than 300 years. Each architect who led the process made changes. By the end of the work, the Cathedral of St. Barbara in Kutna Hora was quite different from the original form. The cathedral remained all forgotten during the Hussite wars, and this is a period of 60 years. Recent changes were made in 1905 along with the final stop of silver mining.
Interior decoration
The interior of St. Barbara's Cathedral in the Czech Republic is striking in its monumentality. The temple was designed with many large and small windows so that the sun's rays illuminated all day the icons, statues of mythical creatures and saints.
Of particular note are the windows. Each of them, even the smallest, is made in the style of stained-glass windows, on which religious scenes from the Bible and the lives of saints were depicted by gluing various colored glass pieces. A lot of magnificent carved furniture amazes the imagination: benches for parishioners, an altar, frescoes. The main material for creating the decor was valuable wood, walnut and oak. You can endlessly look at the paintings that adorn the walls and ceilings of the cathedral. Huge sizes of murals are the central composition. They depict scenes of biblical themes: "Crucifixion" and "Queen of Sheba Comes to King Solomon." The hand of the masters of the Dutch school of painting is felt.
In the Immutable Chapel on the wall, you can admire the fresco depicting coinage and even look at the face of the author, whose name is partially preserved. Some chapels depict frescoes on a theme absolutely rare for that time: the work of miners.
A unique phenomenon is the presence of an organ - an instrument that emphasizes the scale and originality of the Gothic cathedral. During religious and secular holidays, concerts of organ music are organized here. Residents and guests of the city are very fond of such events, and for tourists visiting the organ hall is necessarily included in the program.
External description
The description of St. Barbara’s Cathedral will be incomplete if you do not touch upon the appearance of a centuries-old structure that is no less beautiful and interesting from a historical and cultural point of view.
The central external composition is the image of the grieving Christ. Behind him are the symbols of the evangelists: the eagle - St. John, the lion - St. Mark, the winged bull - Luke and the man - Matthew. In the eastern part of the cathedral the coat of arms of the lands are opened to the viewer: Upper Puddle, Silesia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Moravia and Luxembourg. On the roof of the building there are more than a thousand towers and spiers.
How to get there
Many travelers prefer to travel on their own. If you are of this type of tourists, then you need to know how to get to St. Barbara Cathedral in Kutna Hora.
The best way is to train. This is a fast, economical and comfortable option. A high-speed train will take you from Prague to Kutna Hora in just 50 minutes. The direction is one of the priorities, so trains leave every two hours from the central railway station of Prague. Kutna Hora is located about eighty kilometers from the Czech capital. All you need to do is to arrive at the station half an hour before the train leaves, buy a ticket and hit the road. Upon arrival, you will only have to get from the railway station to the city center and begin sightseeing.
As elsewhere, train tickets can be bought not only at the box office, but also book online. The first train to Kutnu Gora leaves at 8.00, but there is no point in traveling earlier, since the museum and cathedrals are state enterprises and work on a regular basis. It is best to buy round-trip train tickets. Thus, you will correctly allocate your time and will not worry about the return trip.
Important. When buying a ticket, remember the train number. As a rule, the travel document does not indicate the end point of your route, but the direction as a whole. In our case, we need trains following the route to Brno. Check train numbers with pointers on electronic signs.
How to get to the city
After getting off the train, go to the station building. At the exit of it hangs a map of the sights on which their locations are indicated, as well as the distance and time in transit. Most of the monuments are, of course, not far from the station or from each other. Only the Mint and St. Barbara's Cathedral are located on the other side of the city.
The center of Kutnaya Gora can be reached in several ways. A small train like a tram, bus or taxi. Stops can be found by signs that are found at almost every step, and they are hard to miss.
But the best way to experience the atmosphere of the city was and remains a walking path. Of course, only in the summer. On the way there are a large number of direction indicators, so if your navigator in a foreign country fails, you can safely put your smartphone in your pocket and rely on the signs.
Practical information
St. Barbara's Cathedral in Kutna Hora is located in the southern part of the city at the end of Barborska Street. Nearby is a river, you can navigate along it.
Opening hours of the Cathedral of St. Barbara in Kutna Hora: daily, but with restrictions depending on the time of year. So, from April to October, you can get here from 9.00 to 18.00. In November and December, the entrance is open to visitors from 10.00 to 17.00. January and February visits begin at 10.00 and end at 16.00. In March, the Cathedral is open from 10.00 to 17.00. It is important to remember that visitors are no longer allowed in half an hour before the building closes. The only day the Cathedral does not work is Christmas Eve, December 24th.
Ticket price:
- adults - 85 CZK, this is about 255 rubles;
- children under 6 years old are free;
- children from 6 to 15 years old - 40 CZK, about 120 rubles;
- pensioners and students under 26 years of entry will cost 65 CZK, this is 195 rubles.
Please note that it is not always possible to pay by credit card. Be sure to bring cash and documents confirming the status of a student or pensioner.
Traveler Reviews
There is no person who would not like a trip to the Czech Republic. And if you managed to visit places known all over the world, then this is real tourist happiness. Reviews of St. Barbara's Cathedral in Kutna Hora can be found in any tourist reviewer, official and unofficial. Tourists who have visited the Cathedral of St. Barbara, find the place exceptionally wonderful: polite staff, convenient infrastructure, good roads, delicious food in nearby cafes. The only thing you should pay attention to is that inside the cathedral you can’t take pictures with the flash on.