In Sedlec’s ancient cemetery stands the originally Gothic Church of All Saints, with its famous ossuary by J. Santini. Abbot Jindřich, who lived in the reign of Přemysl II, mixed soil from Golgotha near Jerusalem into the cemetery earth. According to legend, the bodies of the dead decomposed completely here within twenty-four hours. Thirty thousand people are said to have been buried in the cemetery during the plague of 1318. A blind monk is said to have spent years arranging the bones. Visitors can see an altar made of skulls, wall decorations, chandeliers and pyramids assembled from bones. A large Schwarzenberg coat of arms is also made from them.
Location and map
- Place
- Kutná Hora
- Municipality / starting point
- Kutná Hora
- District / region
- Not stated in the sources
- Country
- Not specified in the sources
- Distance and direction
- 15 km SE of Kolína
In Sedlec’s ancient cemetery stands the originally Gothic Church of All Saints, with its famous ossuary by J. Santini. Abbot Jindřich, who lived in the reign of Přemysl II, mixed soil from Golgotha near Jerusalem into the cemetery earth. According to legend, the bodies of the dead decomposed completely here within twenty-four hours. Thirty thousand people…
The link searches for Kutná Hora and its surroundings. The sources do not establish the precise point of this legend.
Approximate location · municipality or area search. The distance comes from the sources, not a currently calculated route.
Sources of the original atlas Tajemná místa · page 192
This legend preserves a folk tale. Its motifs do not constitute evidence of supernatural events.