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Alla inlägg den 18 juni 2018

Av EvaLena Hallgren - 18 juni 2018 22:26

I really think Mom has lost count on what day it is because last night we stayed in Kutna Hora and now we're on our way to see some caves....oh well who cares

Getting up early as usual and leaving Prague Linnea took us straight through town, lucky for Mom it was Sunday or maybe Saturday?so the traffic wasn’t bad and we got through it without any incidents. Linnea is great in cities, it’s all the crazy detours around roadwork she can’t handle very well

     

 

this is a shanty town in Prague suburb, looks a little cool to live there but water does not look inviting

 


I’m convinced all people both here and in Poland owns an eighteen wheeler as a second car because there are millions of them on the road.

 


This time we were heading southeast to a town called Kutna Hora only about an hour drive from Prague A small town that began in 1142 with the settlement of the first Cistern monastery. By 1260, German miners began to mine for silver in the mountain region, which they named Kuttenberg, and which was part of the monastery. The territory greatly advanced due to the silver mines which gained importance during the economic boom of the 13th century.


The earliest traces of silver have been found dating back to the 10th century, when Bohemia already had been in the crossroads of long-distance trade for many centuries. Silver dinars have been discovered belonging to the period between 982–995 in the settlement.


From the 13th to 16th centuries, the city competed with Prague economically, culturally, and politically.Since 1995.

 

after circling the town a few times on very narrow and steep cobblestone street we finally found a campsite and parked even though there was no one there. In a few minutes another car with a caravan showed up, and to our big surprise, they were Swedish. We had a great evening together.

We took an evening bike ride and it was gorgeous with many chapels statues and churches.

   

   


Saint Barbara's Church is Roman Catholic in the style of a Cathedral and It is one of the most famous Gothic churches in central Europe and it is a UNESCO world heritage site. St.Barbara is the patron saints of miners (among others), which was highly appropriate for a town whose wealth was based entirely upon its silver mines.


Construction began in 1388,but because work on the church was interrupted several times, it was not completed until 1905. Work on the building was interrupted for more than 60 years during the Hussite wars and the work resumed in 1481.


The original design was for a much larger church, perhaps twice the size of the present building, how that could be even possible we thought Construction, however, depended on the prosperity of the town's silver mines, which became much less productive. So, in 1588, the three-peaked roof had been completed,and a provisional wall was constructed. A little later it was occupied by Jesuits who gradually changed the structure into a baroque style, though parts still remain in Gothic style.

     


We met a family from Prague who’s adorable children fell in love with me, and impressively they both tried speaking English they were taught at school.

 


The entire city's street is cobblestones and the hills are steep. I thought my few remaining teeth were going to fall out rattling around in the basket as Mom tried to bike these streets. Sure gave Mom a great workout, and it was all worth it since the sights are amazing.

   

 



we did not stop for anything to eat here

 

 

 


Not sure what this artist will cal his work?  putting a squeese on the world? squeese my ball? 

 

In the morning we drove to the famous bone church that was located at the other end of town, and this time I was left to guard Lucy. Figures when there's something I would be interested in I'm left behind............huh

 

 


The well-known story of the Bone Church (to be more correct or ‘Kostnice’ in Czech) is that, in the 13th century, Jindřich, the abbot of Sedlec monastery, returned from a visit to Palestine with a pocketful of soil and sprinkled it on the cemetery surrounding the Chapel of All Saints.

 

The green awning was put up for workers that were digging all around to repair the foundation and doing that they found even more bones.

 

 


This direct association with the holy land led to the graveyard becoming a sought after burial site among the aristocracy of Central Europe. At the time of the thirty years’ war in the 17th century, the number of burials outgrew the space available, the older remains began to be exhumed and stored in the chapel, and it’s estimated that the chapel now contains the bones of up to 40,000 people.

       


It really is a weird and somewhat eerie concept. Mom found the idea very bizarre yet once inside looking around she admitted it was very fascinating. I just hope that nobody now gets an idea to copy this in the 21st Century!

The Monks entrusted with the care of the chapel were the first to begin piling the bones into geometric shapes.

 Above the center hangs the chandelier that is often touted as the highlight of the bone church because it contains at least one of each bone in the human body

   

It wasn't easy to get any decent pictures since you weren't allowed to use flash ..........

  This is the coat of arms of the Schwarzenberg family, and there's a segment depicting a raven picking the eye from an invading soldier........pretty sick if you ask me,

 

 

 

Here was yet another Cathedral on UNESCO  list.


The Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady and St John the Baptist is a convent church of the former oldest Cistercian monastery in Bohemia this church makes up a comprehensive complex of the oldest part of Kutná Hora. The cathedral was built in 1290 – 1320 and combines northern French Gothic cathedral architecture with German elements

 

         



The cathedral was left in ruins following the Hussite invasion in the 15th century, yet it was so monumental that in 1681 it was awarded the title of  – the most splendid basilica.


 As part of the cathedral, he incorporated cantilever construction elements – a vault known as the “Bohemian flat vault“ and a cantilever staircase, which are unique in the world. The cathedral began to serve as a Roman Catholic parish church after the abolition of the Sedlec monastery by Joseph II and the establishment of a tobacco factory in its former buildings. Mom walked up a staircase under the roof where she could look down 

 

 

not sure if there's real people in these coffins............

   


this guy has been around for a while, looks pretty hungry to me.

 


lots of bloody old paintings in here, none of this is MOm's cup of tea, but still fascinating of course.


 

 

Not sure where we are now, but I know we are going to some caves Mom read about. Once again the entire road was dug up and we are sent on a detour around to nowhere...............after looking closely on a map, asking questions pointing waving and smiling we finally found out we're only 40 km from where we wanted to be, so Mom decided to park and sleep and continue tomorrow...............

 

Good Night All.


 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 


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