Znojmo
Infocentrum, 669 45 Znojmo
Tel. +420 515 222 552
The territory of the town has been settled already in prehistory. In the period of the Great Moravian
Empire ranged on the opposite bill one of the greatest Great Moravian sites of settlement. In the 11th
century founded prince Bøetislav on the rocky bill over the river Dyje a castle. In the settlement
round the castle ranged some few villages there, whose subsequently were unite into a town. Its importance
underlined in 1226 the Czech King Pøemysl Otakar I. by promoting the town to a royal one.
The Rotunda of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the St. Catherine - reared about 1037 by the Czech
Prince Bøetislav I. as a greatparish church. Probably to 1134 was the rotunda decorated with the fresco
paintings that symbolise besides the scriptural motives the legend about the calling of the Pøemysl the
Tiller to the princely throne and a picture-gallery of the oldest princes form the House of Pøemysliden.
The St. Nicholas Church -
the main city cathedral has been built since 1338 on the place of an older Romanic church from the 12th
century. On the construction of the three-aisled hall, that was finished even at the beginning of the
16th century, participated a. o. the iron-mill of Václav Parléø and Lorenzo Spening.
The pulpit in the form of earth globe is work of J. Winterhalder Senior from 1760.
The Underground -
mysterious labyrinth of passages extended under the whole mediaeval town arose through the mutual
connection of the burgess cellars, originally applied for storing of varied supplies. Later served
the passages as well as a shelter in the insecurity times of the militant robbing. The passages leading
along often in four floors were hollowed from the 13th to the end of the 17th century.
