CZ, Chlumín: Good Bye Golden Times - VIDEO
Chlumín is a typical village with a typical way of life. Locals comment everything unusual that only insignificantly interrupt their rural idyll, idyllic sound of the Černava Creek, bird singing, and now also the warm spring Sun. They slowly move from place to place and make thus an entertaining contrast with cars that fast passed by on a road from Prague, Slaný, or Mělník.
With three landmarks on a background – a castle in rococo style, an unusual Marian column, and a church larger than two previous landmarks combined – there live about 500 people in the village. Around it there is a fertile land of Polabí.
A sad look at the Church of St Mary Magdalene
There are four gates via which you may get to the Church of St Mary Magdalene. There was a concert before Christmas arranged by local elementary school (quite risky when looking at nearly catastrophic state of the building). Broken windows, cracked wall – everything near collapse. The church in Chlumín is large, thus it indicated a historic significance of the town.
There were notes on Chlumín already in the 14th century, later the village was known for its privilege to sentence somebody to death (in the current Mělník distrtict it was only Mšeno). The last trial was held at Stínadla and on Šibeník Hill. To not be connected only to executions, the village also held seberal national festivals. Before the Hussite wars Chlumín was the most populous village, or town if you will, in the area. A toll had to be paid and people from nearby villages had the privilege to pay in kind instead of money.
To a school to the castle
Since the time immemorial there used to be a stronghold replaced by a castle in the 17th century with large agricultural areas. A town located on a strategic trade route prospered.
If you look at Chlumín today, the village attracts your attention with its greeny main square. But there is almost no one outside. In the center of the village square there is an unusual Marian column similar to the one in Obříství. It was built, together with the St Mary Magdalene church, by Anna Marie Toskánská. A sculpture group of patrons, or guardian angels if you will, were crafted as a memory of epidemy of plague that raged in the year 1729.
A rococo style castle situated right by the road isn’t monumental but it reminds of larger school and it is in decay as well as the church is. In fact, the castle was a school in the 18th century, so we weren’t that far from truth. Agricultural buildings surrounding the castle are falling into oblivion. Glorious era of Chlumín is gone but it doesn’t mean it is worthless to go there. Quite the opposite- plains of Polabí are perfect for casual bicycle treks, an ideal start of the spring season.
Text/photo/video: Klára Svobodová
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