The fortification system of Kutna Hora had been built in 2 phases during the 14th century-the 1st ring surrounded so called Upper Town with Italian Court and it was later by so called Lower Town with the church of Our Lady Na Nameti. The wallwork was increased in the second half of the 15th century and by the year 1490 were also finished all main gates named according to the directions, where they led out of the town-to Kouřim, Kolín, Čáslav and to the monastery in Sedlec-Klasterska (Monastery) gate. In the wall ring there was also built a certain amount of smaller gates and passages, let´s mention e.g.gates -Podhrádecká, Hlousecka, Old and New gate, Executioner´s, Leflirska, Zízka´s, Novomlynska or a small passagethrough the wall called characteristically The Mouse Hole.

As the war technique was improving these expensive constructions several metres high and several kilometres long were losing their original function and so there were built little houses connected to the wall from inner side and the huge moats were gradually filled by the municipal refuse. The Klasterska (Monastery) gate was the only newly built in the wall ring during long centuries in 1676 .However the fortification system and the and the gates with the foregates last there until the beginning of the 19th century, but in quite damaged state due to a long unsatisfactory maintenance. The demolition of the main gates was speeded up, by a sudden collapse of the Kouřimska gate in 1813, when three people died in its rubble. Until the end of the 19th century was the main part of the fortification of the town, including the gates, removed, the moats were covered up with the soil and so the town open to its surroundings. The rest of the walls are kept till these days in the places, where they originally had served as fence-walls of the gardens.

The photography of the gates and fortification in our file come mostly from the time before their demolition, i.e. from the eighteen seventies till the end of the 19th century. The reconstruction of the Caslavska and Kourimska gate made by the painter František Vysekal, were probably made on the basis of an older source.