St. James church and ossuary

The earliest written record of the Church of St James in Brno dates back to 1228. The Romanesque church from the early 13th century was later replaced by a beautiful Gothic building. The 92m high church spire is part of the skyline of the city. The Church is one of the most valuable examples of late Gothic architecture in the Czech Republic and has recently been renovated.

Until Joseph II’s reforms in 1784 the church was surrounded by a cemetery which, for more than 500 years, served as a burial place for wealthy citizens and renowned artists as well as ordinary people. The bones were removed to an ossuary and was only re-discovered during the survey of the Brno underground in 2001. In 2012 the ossuary underneath the Church was opened to public.

http://ticbrno.cz/en/underground/ossuary-underneath-the-church-of-st-james