The appearance of this cathedral is familiar to absolutely all tourists who have travelled to the Czech Republic. It is its image that we can see on the 10 crown coin.
The Catholic Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul - the main church of Brno - rises above the city on Petrov Hill. It is clearly visible from the neighbouring streets and from the former market square, now called Zelní.
The cathedral was built on the site of a Romanesque basilica, which was demolished in the 11th century. In 1777, the Catholic Church agreed to the establishment of the Diocese of Brno, which meant that the Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul - the only decent, imposing church in the city - automatically became the main church of the diocese.
Naturally, no church stands unrenovated for about 8 centuries. Throughout the cathedral's existence, it has been rebuilt, repaired, broken down and re-erected many times. It got its modern look at the beginning of the last century, when its facade was decorated in neo-Gothic style. At the same time two towers soaring to the sky were completed. Their height is 84 metres and they visually lengthen the temple, making it more austere and majestic..
There is an extraordinary story associated with the Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul, which can be called an urban legend. In the distant year 1645, the city was besieged by enemy troops. The commander-in-chief of the enemy army said that he would consider himself defeated if he could not enter Brno before 12 o'clock in the afternoon. Then a resourceful bell ringer of the cathedral, seeing that the defenders' strength was running out, played the 12 o'clock signal an hour earlier. Thus, the city was saved. In honour of this amazing victory, the bell of the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul still rings at 11 a.m. instead of 12 a.m..
