Page:Guide to the Bohemian section and to the Kingdom of Bohemia - 1906.djvu/248

214 Of the other public buildings, the most interesting is the Vlašský dvůr (Italian court), it is of the 13th. century, the principal mint of the country and the official residence of the master of the mint. It has been the abode of kings and the meeting-place of parliaments, where king Wladislaus Jagiello was elected, and the decree of Kutná Hora was issued in 1409, by Wenceslaus IV., to secure for Bohemians supremacy at their University in Prague, and which led the Germans to found the University at Leipzig.

The Vlašský dvůr is now the town-hall, and the ancient town-hall called Kamenný dům (Stone-house) has been transformed into a very interesting local museum.

The tube-well constructed in 1495, is an elaborate gothic building carved in Bohemian sand-stone and is a fine work of its kind.

Near the Vlašský dvůr is the monument erected in honour of Karel Havlíček who was exiled under Bach’s era of absolutism in Austria (in the sixtieth of the 19th century), he was a patriotic and fearless defender of Bohemian National rights, and as a journalist, worthy to rank amongst the most brilliant contributors to an enligthened and free press.

The ancient fortress Lorec is like an old soldier who has given up his war-like vocation to become a member of the peace society, Lorec no longer repels, it invites, it is not seeking to destroy, it aims at „fortifying the inner man“—in short, it is now a very excellent restaurant! There is here in connection with this place of refreshment a fine park and shooting range.

The industrial interests of the place are of a musical kind, organs (Tuček) and a variety of other instruments are produced in large quantities.

HOTEL: HAŠEK, „U ČERNÉHO KONĚ“ (Black Horse).

HOTEL: BILSKÝ, „U ZLATÉ HUSY“ (Golden Goose).

From Kutná Hora we go to Čáslav (6 km). The old church at Čáslav dates from the 14th century, and though the building calls for no particular attention it shares with the town the interest attached to the fact that it was here that the great patriot—Žižka, leader of the Hussites was when