Brno is the second largest city in the Czech Republic with 400 000 inhabitants. At the same time, it represents the centre of the province of Moravia, one of the historic lands of the Czech Crown. It is a significant commercial, cultural and social center located directly in the heart of a wine-growing region of South Moravia. First written documents mentioning Brno date back to 1091. Brno was always an important trading crossroads for journeys from the Baltic to the Adriatic Sea and from the West to the East. The silhouette of Brno is highlighted by the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul and the Špilberk fortress from the 13th century.
The oldest church in Brno, St. Peter and St. Paul's, stands on Petrov Hill. Originally a Romanesque basilica of the of 12th century, it became a Gothic structure during the 14th century. During the first half of the 18th century it was refashioned by Moritz Grimm and furnished in contemporary style with the fine sculptural work by Andreas Schweigl. Its Gothic appearance was restored in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The Franciscan church of St. John, in Brno, is also of medieval origin. It contains a sculptured Madonna of the 14th century, wall paintings from 1504 and baroque frescos by Jan J. Etgens. The architecture of the Dominican monastery and its church of St. Michael dates from the first half of the 13th century, though its present appearance is the result of the Baroque alterations carried out in 1655-1679 by Jan Erna and Domenico Martinelli.
In the modern history the town became known for the famous Masaryk Race Track and names like Chiron, Nuvolari or Agostini. There is also one of the most beautiful European Exhibition Grounds from the 20s of this century, which is famous not only for important exhibitions but also for the functionalism architecture typical for Brno. Among famous personalities attached to Brno there were, for instance, the composer Leoš Janáček, the scientist Johan Gregor Mendel, the inventor of water turbine Kaplan, architects Loos and Fuchs, the tennis player Jana Novotná and many others.
Brno is also the seat of the Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic and the site of many universities and colleges.
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