A golden crown and an eight-pointed star in a blue field adorn the coat of arms of Dominic Cometta of Eckthurn. This builder from Budweis (České Budějovice) was of Italian origin and was related to many families in the Italian-speaking region of contemporary Switzerland. He was also a relative of Antonio Cometta of Eckthurn, who built the manor house in Jindřichův Hradec during the reign of Adam II and Joachim Ulrich of Hradec. Dominic appeared in Budweis in 1580. This fiery Italian took a short look around the town and soon married the daughter of Plánek, a rich local burgess. In 1587, he bought a house in the town valued at 350 three-scores groschen and in the following years he constantly bought more and more land and did business. He established mines as well as yards and gardens and supplied the town with food. In addition to these and other activities, he also became quite rich, as might be expected. His gold star rose quickly in Bohemia and it was crowned with wealth - exactly as it was shown in his coat of arms. However, there is one question that everyone in the Czech lands would ask: from where did he get the money for all this? You too may wonder, but he gained his wealth from work.
Apart from the above-mentioned activities, he participated in the building business in the town, working mainly for Master Peter Vok of Rosenberg who even appointed him his court builder. And there we must seek the really powerful source of his wealth. Twenty years after his arrival in Budweis, Dominic Cometta bought a house directly on the market place. That was something! When one becomes rich it is apparently useful to acquire a position in public office. Indeed, Cometta was elected to the city council. However, this happened at a time most inconvenient for political activity. It did not seem so at the time of the election in 1609, but when we realise that he then sat in the council until the year 1620 it is clear that he was there through a difficult period in Czech history. Fortunately for him, he was not exposed to any pressure or risky decisions, for Budweis remained a loyal city, standing firmly behind the famous throne of the Habsburgs. Besides, Cometta died late in 1620. He became much more famous for building than for politics. And that is why some things have remained after him.
Between 1594 and 1598, he built the Rosenberg armoury in Krumlov. The pearl of his work also saw the sun there, the Budweis gate with its adjacent fortifications and bridge. At that time, he also reconstructed the local Chapel of St. Jošt and made it into the Lutheran Church of The Holy Trinity. He didn't mind that he himself was a Catholic. A notorious thing about money is that no one minds from where it comes. When the last Rosenberg decided to move from Krumlov to Třeboň, Dominic Cometta prepared a lake town on the site of the new lord's residence. First he reconstructed the southeast corner of the inner manor house with a courtier's room and an official house on the east side of the outer courtyard. He then joined the latter with the house of Ruthard, which had been purchased. He razed the old Břilická gate and built a library and a record room. In addition to the rooms for the master ruler, he built a large hall of arms and a completely new gate, now called the Budweis gate. Between 1608 and 1611, he built a long passage along the city walls to connect the new wing of the manor with the new gate and the Augustinian monastery where there was a farmyard and a parsonage. Thus an integrated building unit was created, exactly as we know it today. These activities of his are admirable even today and yet this was far from all that this Rosenberg builder accomplished at that time.
Apart from these demanding activities, he managed to reconstruct the Krumlov town brewery and to modify the St. Giles Church in Třeboň (1607). However, he also did such things as building ordinary mills in Horusice and Vidov. On top of that, Dominic Cometta could take pride in something that exalted him far above his nobility. He always delivered the requested work correctly done and on time. For this he deserves our admiration and respect, even after centuries, and our gratitude when we look at his work.