The purpose of the UNESCO World Heritage List is to preserve cultural sites and natural sites of global significance for future generations. The 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage sets out a protective regime for their conservation. It has been signed by almost all the countries of the world, the former Czechoslovakia acceded to it in 1990 and the Czech Republic assumed its obligations under the treaty in 1993.
Column of the Holy Trinity
The Column of the Holy Trinity has been a World Heritage Site since 2000 UNESCO.
Olomouc’s Holy Trinity Column is a landmark in the centre of the city that easily takes visitors’ breath away with its imposing presence. It is the largest ever grouping of Baroque statues within a single sculpture in Central Europe. The column is 32 metres high and at its base is a chapel which is open seasonally.
The sculptural decoration consists of 18 statues of saints, 12 figures of luminaries, 12 reliefs with half-figures of apostles. The sculpture of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is placed in the central part of the column and two sculptures of the Holy Trinity shine on the top. Both sculptures are copper and gilded. The whole sculptural decoration of the column has a natural and harmonious impression and is certainly worthy of attention due to its uniqueness.
With 16 registered monuments, the Czech Republic is one of the countries with the highest concentration of monuments of such importance in the world. The municipalities and towns of the Czech Republic in whose territory these monuments are located have joined together to form an association called Czech UNESCO Heritage.
