The stone for the restoration of Kutná Hora monuments is transported from Austria

Kutná Hora - The repairs of Kutná Hora's church monuments would not be possible without stone imported from Austria. Medieval builders used a type of stone called "muslovka," typical for Kutná Hora, which can no longer be found in the surrounding area. It must be brought in from Austrian mines, said architect Vít Mlázovský today to journalists, who is involved in the repair of Kutná Hora's monuments. According to him, Austrian muslovka has recently been used in the reconstruction of the Church of St. James, and it is also planned for the extensive renovation of the cemetery church of All Saints with the ossuary in Sedlec.

"Interestingly, many of the original stone elements are made from local stone, which is called muslovka. It is a stone that is absolutely characteristic of Kutná Hora, where you can see remnants of shells and marine organisms," described Mlázovský the peculiarities of the stone that former builders worked with.

According to him, the quarries with muslovka around Kutná Hora are all closed now. "We are not able to replace that stone with another stone; there is always a big contrast. For this reason, if necessary and historically justifiable, the stone is imported from Austria, where those quarries are still open," stated Mlázovský. However, he noted that this always increases the cost of reconstruction.

Mlázovský is now focusing primarily on the repair of the Kutná Hora ossuary, which is among the most visited monuments in the region. Around 300,000 people visit it each year. Throughout the renovation, the monument remains accessible to visitors. The Sedlec parish cannot close the church - the reconstruction, expected to cost around 55 million crowns, is being financed from the money collected from entrance fees.

According to Mlázovský, it would be hardly possible to carry out the repairs using grants. He pointed out that the public procurement law emphasizes the lowest price and excludes additional work. According to the architect, this would not be possible to guarantee because many things, including the dismantling of complex skeletal decorations, will be done for the first time. "We are constantly venturing into the unknown. This means we have to experiment," concluded Mlázovský.