Along with the Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady and St John the Baptist in Sedlec, the Roman Catholic Cemetery Church of All Saints with the Ossuary is part of the former Cistercian monastery in Sedlec, founded in 1142. The cemetery church is a two-floor charnel-type building from the 14^th century. According to legend, CLAY which was brought by the monks from Jerusalem was scattered at the Sedlec cemetery in 1278, thus making the cemetery the oldest “holy field“ in Central Europe and a sought-after burial ground. Over 30,000 were buried in Sedlec after the plague in 1318, with another 10,000 deceased finding their final resting place at the cemetery during the Hussite Wars. According to preserved sources, the Sedlec cemetery occupied an area of 35,000 m². Most of the graves were abolished at the end of the 15^th century. The EXHUMED SKELETAL REMAINS of approximately 40,000 deceased were stored in the church‘s lower chapel where, according to legend, a half-blind monk stacked them into large pyramids in 1511. 

At the end of the 18^th century, the reforms implemented by Joseph II led to the abolishment of the abbey, with the church caming into the possession of the Schwarzenberg family of Orlík, who had the original Baroque SKELETAL DECORATION, probably created according to the plans of the brilliant architect J. B. SANTINI Aichl, repaired and finished in 1870 by František Rint, their woodcarver and master builder. The cemetery church with the Ossuary is a unique cultural and historical monument and the SEDLEC CEMETERY is thus the aim of the travels of not only people whose loved ones are buried there, but also of thousands of visitors from all the countries of the world. The LEANING church is currently undergoing a demanding total reconstruction, part of which includes making the outdoor terraces accessible and implementing a new conceptual solution for visitor traffic, while preserving the original legacy of its unique MEMENTO MORI skeletal decorations associated with the hope for resurrection.

Opening hours and entrance fee for the Sedlec Ossuary

Building is wheelchair accessible, discounted entrance fee for holders of ZTP (severe health disability), ZTP-P (severe health disability requiring special assistance) passes; parking close to the complex. The wheelchair platform has a load capacity of 225 kg. But the entry to the cemetery and the route to the Ossuary are problematic. An escort is required to enter the Ossuary. As the Ossuary is under reconstruction, the access route for wheelchair users to the Ossuary’s main entry is closed. For information on other access options, please call the tourist information centre in Sedlec on +420 326 551 049.
 
Contact:       
Římskokatolická farnost Kutná Hora – Sedlec
Turistické informační centrum Sedlec
Zámecká 279, 284 03 Kutná Hora
Tel.: +420 326 551 049
E-mail: ic@sedlecinfo
Web: www.sedlec.info