The baroque column came into existence between 1716 and 1754 and is a testament to the onetime religious fervor of this bishopric town. The column unites the motifs of ecclesiastic triumphalism and faith with its architectural and artistic expression. Thanks to the entry of this baroque column on the prestigious UNESCO list, the historic Moravian town of Olomouc has also received wide recognition. Olomouc used to be Moravia's capital, a seat of bishops since 1063, and features the second largest collection of municipal monuments after Prague. The most important religious structure in the city is the St. Wenceslas' Cathedral dating from 1109, remodeled from 1883-1890 in the neo-Gothic style. In 1306, the last king of the Přemyslid dynasty, Wenceslas III, was murdered here. Other important structures are the Přemyslid Palace, Hradisko (the largest pre-monstratensian monastery in all of Europe) and the fortified Church of St. Maurice with its famous organ; the church dates to the 15th - 16th centuries. A small chapel in St. Wenceslas' Square houses a Madonna dating from 1483, one of the most valuable Gothic sculptures in the Czech Republic. Olomouc is situated directly on the Brno - Vyškov - Ostrava highway, some 300 km from Prague, as well as on the Prague - Ostrava high-speed train route.