Medieval Day in Třebíč – celebration of UNESCO

Recalling the seventh anniversary of the inscription of Třebíč’s architectural heritage – the former Jewish Ghetto, the Jewish Cemetery and St. Procopius’ Basilica – in the prestigious Register of World Cultural and Natural Heritage of UNESCO.

Medieval town, period costumes, traditional craft markets, shows of handcrafts, fencing, period food in a tavern, a great historical parade, a rich cultural program and finally a spectacular firework…all this waits for visitors in Třebíč from Aug 20, 2010 to Aug 21, 2010.

The Jewish Ghetto in Třebíč
It is an unique collection of 123 preserved houses. It includes two synagogues, a building of the Jewish Town Hall, the rabbinate, as well as the poorhouse, the hospital and two schools. The Back Synagogue was completely reconstructed. In its interior, which is decorated with unique wall paintings from the early 18th century, there is the exposition of the history of the former ghetto. Various cultural events take place here – exhibitions, concerts, meetings and seminaries. In the Front Synagogue there is the house prayer of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church.
Visitors pass through a nature trail, which points out exceptional places and briefly acquaint with history. There are also guided tours on two lines.
The uniquely preserved Jewish Town remains the witness of coexistence of the Jews and the Christians, which ended by the Nazi holocaust during the World War II. The Jewish Ghetto together with the Jewish Cemetery were listed in UNESCO's World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 2003.

The Jewish Cemetery
There are situated a lot of different tombstones documenting in their artistic conception a development of the Jewish tombstone in all different forms, from the Renaissance through the Baroque to Classicism, until the 1940s.
The burial-place was established about 400 meters from the Jewish Town in the hillside of Hrádek, enough long from the town of Třebíč, so as to avoid eyes of the nobility and bourgeoisie. There are about eleven thousand tombs and almost three thousand tombstones (the eldest from the year 1625) situated in a park with tall trees and mysterious atmosphere. A part of the cemetery is the ceremonial hall built in 1903 with uniquely preserved interior.

St. Procopius’ Basilica
The Late Romanesque Basilica of St. Procope constructed between 1240 – 1260 belongs among jewels of the European architecture. In 2003 it was registered on UNESCO's World Cultural and Natural Heritage.
One of the most valuable parts of the basilica is the entrance portal, which dates from the early 13th century, and was rediscovered in 1862. Wall paintings in the abbey chapel deserve also special attention. Frescoes date from the mid-13th century and are the second oldest frescoes in Moravia, after frescoes in the Rotunda of St. Catherine in Znojmo. Best preserved and the oldest part of the basilica is the Romanesque crypt, which was used as a brewery cellar in the late 16th century. Worth mentioning is certainly also the Romanesque rose window with original ten-piece stone tracery.