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The Ossuary in Sedlec

The basic information about the Cemetary church of all Saints with ossuary in Kutná Hora – Sedlec.

According to the statement of the parish Sedlec, the Ossuary is and will be opened to public at least for the next five years.

The Cemetary Church of all Saints with ossuary in Kutna Hora has very long and very interesting history. The former chapel was a part of the Cistercian abbey that was founded in 1142. The first church was built in the 14th century. It was so called „carner“ – that means two chapels – one above the other. The newest researches show that the builders tried to build a church that is very similar to these in Jerusalem.

The Chapel in Sedlec really resembles to the chapel at the field Hakeldama – the chapel that used to serve for burrying the pilgrims. One of the local abbots brought to the Czech Republic from Jerusalem some soil and he sprinkled it at the local cemetery.

The biggest number of dead people was burried there after the epidemy of plague in 1318 – about 30 thousand bodies. Other 10 thousand bodies were burried there duing the Hussite Wars.

The cemetery was abolished by the end of the 15th century. All the bones were exhumed and placed in the chapel. Later, they were arranged into pyramides by a blind monk.

The church was reconstructed during the 18th century and one of its architects was for example Santini.

Its current decoration comes from the 19th century. The bones were desinfected, whitened and a very unusual decoration was created out of them.

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