BRNO
Country: Czech Republic
Coordinates: 49° 12’ N 16° 34' E
Elevation: 190 - 425 m above sea level
Area: 230 Km2
Population: 370 592
Residential density: 1612/Km2
Web: www.brno.cz
Mayor: Roman Onderka
Brno is the second biggest city in the Czech Republic and the centre of the province of Moravia. It is situated at the very edge of Moravian Gate, where the roads connecting Northern and Southern civilizations lead for centuries. The first written reference about the city was found in the Chronicle of Kosmas, which dates back to 1091. The city was founded by King Václav I. in 1243 when he accorded it the royal prerogative. Owing to the fact, that Brno was given the right to accept new residents freely in 1352, the number of the inhabitants in 1389 reached around 8400 with 999 houses to live in.
Brno is the city of many places of interest, e.g. Špilberk Castle with its fortress, The Cathedral of Saint Peter and Paul, The Temple of John Amos Comenius which is also known as Red Church, and many others.
Špilberk Castle was built in the 13th century at the top of the hill that shares its name. The medieval centre was later several times rebuilt, because the ownership of the original settlement was often passing from one proprietor to another.
Špilberk was in the18th century well-known and redoubtable prison. Since about 1961 it serves as a museum, where various exhibitions take place.
The Cathedral of Saint Peter and Paul is situated at the probable place of the original Brno Castle. The Romanesque basilica was after the destruction of the castle itself in the 13th century rebuilt into Gothic temple, which was reconstructed in the 15th and 16th century, and baroquized in the 18th century. It has its present Neo-Gothic appearance since the turn of the 20th century and it is the seat of the Brno diocese since 1777.
That Brno is a significant cultural centre is evident especially when we think of its “fight” for the National Theatre Brno. Despite the common belief, that Brno’s destiny is to have the second Czech theatre (after the theater in Prague, which is the first); the circumstances for its establishment were here much more complicated than in the other cities.
The theatre that plays in German language was supported here in the last period of the 19th century, but Czech theatre not only needed a permit from Austrian-Hungarian offices to performance the plays, but it had to get the money for its own existence by itslef.
The building was several times rebuilt and since 2008 it is called Národní divadlo Brno, příspěvková organizace (National Brno Theatre, the allowance organization).
Brno is a beautiful city situated in the quaint area and is really worth visiting.
