For most people, the bones of man are undoubtedly the symbol of the transience of earthly existence. It is this idea that is leading in the interior decoration of the Barns - a church made of bones in the Czech Republic.
The most unusual and mystical church Kostnitsa is in the city of Kutna Hora in the Czech Republic, located 70 kilometers from Prague . The word "kostnice" even sounds similar to the Russian "bones", and in the Czech language it means a chapel, which is the storehouse of human remains.
History of the Czech oprichnitsa
In the 13th century, the Czech king Otakar II sent Abbot Jindřich to Palestine. The priest on his return brought land taken at Calvary - the site of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and scattered on the land on which the cemetery was founded. Not only the Czechs wanted to be buried here, but also titled individuals from Germany, Belgium and Poland.
The cemetery became especially popular during the plague epidemic. In 1400 a Gothic cathedral was rebuilt, in which secondary burial took place: old bones formed, and new graves were made in their place. Anthropologists believe that the remains of at least 40,000 people are gathered at the site of the Sedlec monastery's bony in the Czech Republic.
At the beginning of the 16th century an obscure, half-blind cult servant began to whiten bones and sculpt high pyramids out of them. After his death, it was decided to leave six monk-built bone structures, but the chapel was closed for a long time. After the princely family of the Schwarzenbergs became the owner of the local monastic lands at the end of the 18th century, the carver Frantisek Rint was commissioned to use in some way a pile of bones. The master made an unusual decision: he bleached all the bones again and used them to decorate the interior.
The interior of the church Kostnitsa in the Czech Republic
The Church of human bones has not changed for more than 200 years. Outside, the structure seems quite ordinary: the gray Gothic building is surrounded by numerous stone monuments.
But all entering inside embrace sacred awe and religious reverence. And this is not surprising! After all, in every corner there are huge pyramids of bones, on top of each of them there is a crown.
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An indelible impression leaves a giant bone chandelier suspended from human jaws. In the center of the hall hangs a large openwork chandelier made of a complete set of human skeletons.
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Vases, darnitsy, various small ornaments - all these are parts of skeletons. The peak of Rint's skill is the family coat of arms of the Schwarzenbergs, which has an absolutely symmetrical structure. It is made, like all elements of the chapel, from human bones.
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Excursions in the church Kostnitsa
Potential visitors to this terrible and majestic religious and historical monument are interested in knowing how to get to the Kostnitsa in Kutná Hora? A trip from Prague to an unusual church takes only 1 hour. Sightseeing buses run from Prague's Hlavni Nadrazi station, located at 8, New Town, Prague 2, on the same subway station along the red branch. Opening hours The barns in Kutna Hora depend on the season: November - February from 9.00. until 16.00., March and October - from 9.00. until 17.00., April - September - from 8.00. before 18.00. On the Catholic Christmas and on Christmas Eve, the Ascension Tourist does not accept.
It should be added that in Kutná Hora you can visit the old mine, in which silver was mined; a museum of precious metal "Hradek"; late Gothic Cathedral of St. Barbara, which is the second largest in the Czech Republic. The historical part of the Czech town is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.