First charms of Kutna Hora
Italian Court
An insider's view of the church's interior life
 
Church of St James seen from Ruthardsk? Street
Barbosk? street to the Cathedral of St Barbara
Inside Cathedral of St Barbara
 
Vrchlice valley
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I awake at dusk to make the most of a promising day, and decide to follow the sign to Kutna Hora by the parking lot, seeing in it my cue to change my Czech tour from finishing by this destination, to starting with it. As I drive off, I enjoy a bit of Prague, with the passing trams, and along tall early twentieth century stone buildings lining up the boulevards. Radio City offers me "Lily was Here", a mix of saxophone and piano that I really like - this enhances my mood, while I retain my focus on the road. I head straight east, into the sun, and quickly reach the city outskirts, discovering the green countryside, and the roads line with trees. It is not long before the radio improvises a DJ mix of frequencies, a rather original background sound that I ignore for a while, as I am busier driving and watching the landscape at the same time. Two trees stand on each side of the road in the middle of empty brown and green fields, anonymous landmarks filling me with unexpressed feelings. Route number 2 to Kutna Hora is exactly the one I was aiming for, so all is going perfectly to plan despite some apprehensions I had about finding my way around. I observe the morning life emerging as I pass through several villages. Later, a big hare runs around in an empty field of rich brown soil, while many birds fly around and chirp or crow loud enough for me to hear them at times. In the lovely and famous town of Kutna Hora, I begin my exploration of the Czech wonders, not having ever seen anything else than the exceptional capital of Prague, and the spectacular castle of Karlštejn. The atmosphere is relaxed, yet more sophisticated than rural. One would have to search hard to find any traces of the communist years, only the language having a resemblance with Russian. It seems the country is now true only to its culture and mix between the Catholic Austro-Hungarian past, and the eastern Slavic influences. The square of Palackého Námešti opens the view onto neatly aligned arcades and houses painted in pastel colours, with facades enhanced by stucco decorations and elaborately decorated windows. Behind it lies the massive Church of St James, standing tall on impressive grey stone walls. Before entering it, I contemplate the Italian court, which used to be the Royal Mint, and was later enhanced to be a royal palace, then the town hall, and now a museum. In the warming morning light, it stands proudly to represent the successful passage of time in the Czech history, from the first riches of the silver mines, to the royalty, and later to democracy and modern times. As I try to find the entrance to the church, I catch a view of the Jesuit College and Cathedral of St Barbara, my first main point of interest, as it is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, somewhat of a thread for my tour this week-end, as it indicates some exceptional sites and already makes for plenty of visits in just a couple of days. The light fully reflects the significance of these monuments perched on the hill. I know that if I needed inspiration, this is where I will find it. Unexpectedly, emotion rises in me as I observe the silent ritual of several old women slowly and carefully cleaning the church, floors and benches, in an asynchrony yet with the harmony of years of shared faith and devotion. Quietly I watch them, there is not a sound, it is a special moment in their day, whether conscious or not, and becomes a meaningful one to me. The town is still quiet outside, apart from the occasional train horn in the valley below. It seems the Czech Republic has so many hills and waterways that any significant town has been built in superb sites, often fortified, always with good views on fields and river valleys. I make my way up the hill, passing along the charming Ruthardská Street, a narrow cobbled medieval passage along the old city walls. On Barboská Street, I am offered the sight of the cathedral at the end, the regular walls and windows of the Jesuit College on one side, and Gothic statues on the other. The resemblance with Charles Bridge comes to mind, yet the monument at the end is significantly different from the style of this capital, and is considered one of the finest Gothic constructions. It was built by the miners, and, as such, contains an original mix of religious images and representations of mining scenes. The inside is filled with light, enhanced by large windows and pale blonde stone. The rich additions are isolated, such as the more recent golden organ, and therefore do not distract one from the original architecture and lines. The eye follows the veins of the columns all the way to the elaborate vaults forming six-petal flowers. In the east lie eight ambulatory chapels with many frescoes of religious scenes, with local nobility and cot of arms, and the more original depictions of the life of miners. There are also some charming Art Nouveau stained glass windows. Further, I am intrigued by the central place given to the statue of a miner. Dating from 1700, it depicts him in full attire, with lamp, tool and leather apron to slide down to the mine. I learn from the text I was given in English, that at 500 metres, the local mine was the deepest of the time, and that the workers had 10 to 14 hour days, 6 days a week. Apart from the magnificence and relative simplicity of the building, it is interesting to see how it was preserved in living faith, with more recent additions, and incorporating what was significant to the people here, such as a fresco of minting, or a more recent vivid representation of the Vision of St Ignatius. As I walk around the cathedral and admire the view of the Vrchlice valley on such a lovely day, and of this edifice, I think to myself that in this place, they could have built a fort - instead, they erected a tribute to God.
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Kutna Hora 