Cathedral of St. Bartholomew Cologne

This important sacral building not only in the territory of Kolín, but also in the whole of the Czech Republic, was built in the spirit of early Gothic, while the three-nave body of the cathedral and a pair of towers in the western façade have been preserved from this period. During the reign of Charles IV. The city of Kolín suffered a fire, during which the church was also damaged, which was subsequently rebuilt. Petr Parléř then built a new Gothic choir in the years 1360 - 1379, the windows in the nave were enlarged and the chapel of the Virgin Mary was added.

Towards the end of the 15th century, the western towers were equipped with pyramid-shaped towers and corner turrets. In 1643 the church was looted by Swedish troops and severely damaged it. Another disaster took the form of a fire that damaged the church in 1976. A general reconstruction then took place in the middle of the 19th century, but soon, in 1869, another devastating fire came. Another reconstruction is led by Josef Mocker, who first rebuilt the north tower and the bell tower, then reconstructed Parléř's work - the choir, where he either supplemented or completely replaced a number of architectural elements. The roof of the cathedral also dates from the 19th century. The church underwent its last reconstruction in 1963 after being damaged by bombing at the end of World War II.

Inside the cathedral, visitors are particularly interested in the fourteen stops of the Stations of the Cross, which were carved from oak wood by František Bílek between 1910 and 1913. The painting by Petr Brandl, depicting the Passion of St. Bartholomew and it is also worth mentioning the crypt under the chancel, where the remains of important burghers are stored in painted coffins.
 

Author: Andrea Štyndlová