About Us

Jan Santini Aichel, talented architect and creator of the architectural style called Baroque Gothic, lived from 1677 to 1723. Nearly eighty buildings preserved with his authorship are located in several regions of the Czech Republic.

Since the end of the ninetieth, property relations to the individual buildings have been solved, finished by church restitutions in progress just now. Most buildings also underwent construction and artistic renovation during the last twenty years, and so the interested persons can standardly visit numerous Santini's buildings now.

While the professionals understood Santini's creation as a comprehensive complex and a great human story of the author himself, the current visitor had no chance to perceive these relationships and was not able to follow Santini's hints in other regions.

The first step to development of popularization of this heritage was establishment of the exposition called Tribute to Santini in the convent premises of Kinsky Castle in Zdar nad Sazavou. Prof. Mojmir Horyna and Stanislav Ruzicka were involved in its authorship. Horyna's professional activity at position of the director of the Institute of Art History of Charles University in Prague was vital for further development. After publishing his essential Santini's monograph and long-time lecture activities, it was time to connect through interests of Santini's buildings open to public, their owners or exhibitors, professional public as well as amateurs.

Participants of the conference held in Zdar nad Sazavou on 14 April 2011 initiated foundation of the Association named Putovani za Santinim (Following Santini's Footprints). They signed a document called Memorandum on Mutual Cooperation and Support of the Project of Popularization and Increasing of Visitor Interest in Work of Art by the Architect Jan Santini Aichel. Based on this document, articles were elaborated and the association was registered by Ministry of the Interior on 11 July 2011.

Constitutive General Meeting took place in Chlumec nad Cidlinou on 12 April 2012, where chairman and executive board of the Association Putovani za Santinim were duly elected.