Old Town Square: history, architecture and a bit of mysticism

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

The Old Town Square in Prague (from the Czech Staroměstské náměstí) covers fifteen thousand square meters and is the center of attraction for both residents and guests of the Czech capital.

The centuries-old history of this place leaves no one indifferent. Connoisseurs of architecture will be delighted with the buildings surrounding the square, on the facades of which you can study the styles of architecture, from Gothic and Renaissance to Baroque and Rococo. For people interested in history, the Old Town Square will become an inexhaustible topic of study. Lovers of mysticism will be fascinated by many legends, mysteries and legends.

From history

Twelfth century - this period is considered the beginning of the formation of the Old Town Square. Successfully located at the crossroads of European trade routes, in the Middle Ages this place was a market where it was possible to purchase goods brought from different countries. In the thirteenth century, the square was called the Old Market. For seven centuries, repeatedlywas renamed until in 1895 it acquired the final name that it bears today. Old Town Square (pictured) is surrounded by a range of centuries-old buildings.

Old Town Hall (from Czech Staromestska radnice)

This is an original building, the first part of which was donated to the city by the merchant Wolf Kamene. In 1364 a solid tower sixty-six meters high joined it. Then, in 1381, - a chapel, a little later, in 1410, on the south side of the tower - chimes.

Prague chimes (or eagle) have their own amazing history. The clock on the Old Town Square allows you to determine the current time and date, the movement of the sun and moon, their location in the zodiac ring. Every hour, the chimes present a small performance filled with philosophical meaning.

The first part of the mechanism (clock and astronomical dial) was created in 1410 by watchmaker Mikulash, the project was developed by astronomer Jan Shindel. Then, in 1490, Jan Rouge (or master Ganush) supplemented it with a calendar dial and made the first figure. Subsequently, a legend was born that this master was blinded by the decision of the Prague Council, which could not allow the creation of an analogue of such a watch.

Tyn Church

The Church of the Virgin Mary in front of Tyn is an active Catholic church, its construction lasted more than two centuries - from 1339 to 1551. The author is P. Parler. In the architecture of the church one can finda mixture of styles such as Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque. Inside there are unique things, including a font (1414), a stone pulpit (15th century), a sculpture of the Madonna and Child (1420), altars made by ancient masters and, of course, the oldest organ in Prague, made in 1673

The image of the temple is formed by two eighty-meter towers, which are called Adam and Eve. At the same time, Adam is one meter taller than Eve.

In 1621, the golden cup was removed from the main statue of the church. According to one version, the reason was a family of storks, who made a nest in the bowl. Once, while feeding the chicks, a dinner in the form of a frog fell on a representative of the authorities, as a result, the storks were deported, the bowl was moved.

It is noteworthy that some of the tombstones (sixty people are buried in the temple) are damaged. This is due to the existing sign, which claims that stepping on a stove is to get rid of a toothache.

Church of Saint Nicholas

Belongs to the Hussite Church (Christian church, the ideological founder of which is the Czech preacher and reformer Jan Hus). This temple is a priceless baroque building that has survived to this day. At the base is a building that has existed since 1273. The diameter of the dome is 20 meters, the height is 49 meters. Within its walls you can hear the sound of a unique organ of the 18th century, which was played by Mozart; enjoy viewing frescoes, wood carvings, stained glass windows; admire the crystal chandelier in the shape of a crown, which was presented as a gift by Russian Emperor Alexander II.

Kinsky Palace

National cultural monument of the Czech Republic. Erected in 1765 in the Rococo style for Count Gölz. In 1768 the building was acquired by Stepan Kinsky, whose name the palace owes its real name to. The palace is decorated with magnificent stucco, statues depicting the ancient gods. Inside, a gallery has been located since 1949, and a collection of art objects is currently on display.

The walls of the palace have preserved the memories of many famous people. Born in 1843, Countess Kinsky, later known as Bertha von Sutner, writer, activist in the pacifist movement and the first female Nobel laureate. At the beginning of the 20th century, Franz Kafka studied at the gymnasium located here.

Monument to Jan Hus

The very idea of erecting such a monument arose at the end of the 19th century and caused heated political disputes, as a result, the memorial to Jan Hus was erected in the center of the Old Town Square on July 6, 1915, exactly 500 years after his execution. The author of the project is Ladislav Shaloun.

Jan Hus - national hero of the Czech Republic, priest, rector of Prague University, philosopher. With absolute faith in God, he questioned the activities of the church. Accused of heresy and burned at the stake. His execution started the Hussite Wars in 1419

Interesting details

In the sixties of the twentieth century, the square became pedestrian. On its pavement there is a bronze tablet called "Prague Meridian", withan inscription, translated from Latin, saying that in the afternoon you can see the correct Prague time here. Previously, until 1918, the Mariinsky Column stood on the square, the shadow of which was projected onto this place at noon.

Old Town Square is surrounded by houses that are named after their style and character. The house "At the Minute" probably acquired the name on behalf of the owner of the trading shop located in the house of Peter Minuyt. Another version of the origin of the name suggests that it came from the word “minutia”, the so-called small things sold in the shop. "Shtorhuv Dom", "At the Stone Bell", "At the Stone Lamb", "At the Stone Table" - each of them is unique and has an eventful history.

Characters of myths and legends

The attraction of the Old Town Square is not only in the magnificent buildings, temples, medieval streets. The Old City has a large number of legends and tales about the characters living behind the old walls. A ringing nun swinging the tongue of the bell on the Tyn Tower because of pangs of conscience, a fiery chariot harnessed by wild goats, a butcher with a fiery ax who did not fulfill his duty during his lifetime, and even a skeleton begging for alms, and a woman of easy virtue, paired with a chaplain, roam along the narrow streets branching off from the Old Town Square.

Location

Address: Prague, Stare Mesto district, Old Town Square. How to get there: 15-20 minutes walk from the metro stations "Staromestska", "Mustek" or "Namestni"Republic".