The 22nd Royal Silvering of Kutna Hora
22 - 23 June 2013

The Royal Silverning of Kutna Hora is an annual Gothic festival taking place in Kutna Hora, famous Bohemian medieval mining town. Spectacular scenario brings the royal mining town of Kutna Hora 600 years back to the beginning of the 15th century.

The whole town comes alive by a fictious arrival and presence of Bohemian and Roman king Wenceslas IV with his court. Actors and spectators return to the age of the acme of prosperity of silver Kutna Hora. Everybody can dress a self-made costume and join the celebration.

Besides the main program of the king's visit with music, dance, jousts, trials and silver mass, you can see standalone performances of acting groups, themed goodies, historical craft and music, children's plays and competitions, fights, jugglers and falconers.

The whole Gothic pageant is based on historical facts and knowledge of life of the town in the 15th century.

About the festival

If you visit the town of Kutná Hora during June 22–23 you will have the opportunity to go back 600 years into the history of the Bohemian Kingdom and experience what it was like to live in this famous royal mining town, which is today on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This annual historical event called the Royal Silvering of Kutná Hora takes you back to the times of the last Luxembourgs on the Bohemian throne at the beginning of the 15th century. The whole of the town and royal seat in the mint in Italian Court will set the scene for the arrival of Bohemian King and Holy Roman Emperor Wenceslas IV and his entourage. Both those taking part and those looking on will find themselves in a time of great prosperity in this silver-mining town, which at that time was the second most important town in the kingdom after Prague.

The everyday work in the mines and mint will be broken off as drums herald the coming of King Wenceslas and his court. The rich and proud miners will prepare a great welcome for the king. A medieval fair will be opened, fires will be lit on the meadows below Italian Court, and sturdy knights from far and wide will ride into the town to test their courage and skills in jousting tournaments. Gothic music will lure people out to dance in the court and streets, and the mysterious symbolism of the Saturday evening court festivities will recall the old moral values of medieval knights. Fanfares will sound in the Cathedral of St Barbara, the patron saint of Bohemian miners, to welcome King Wenceslas and his wife Sofia of Bavaria, the royal court, the Kutná Hora nobility and the commoners for the festive “Silver Mass”. The bright colours of high Gothic, dozens of pennants and hundreds of historical costumes will fill the picturesque streets of the town and the tiltyard below the royal mint in Italian Court.

The Royal Silvering of Kutná Hora constitutes an inimitable and grandiose spectacle for hundred of participants and thousands of onlookers every year. Visit Kutná Hora, where the history of this silver town overflows into the streets every year!

Textual part of the exhibition "Royal Silvering - Returns to Kutná Hora of Luxembourg Era" outlines historical background of the celebration.