Old Town Square in Prague (with Czech Staroměstské náměstí) occupies 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 no oneleaves indifferent. Connoisseurs of architecture will be admired by the buildings surrounding the square, along the facades of which you can study the styles of architecture, from Gothic and Renaissance to Baroque and Rococo. For people interested in history, Old Town Square will be an inexhaustible topic of research. Lovers of mysticism will be bewitched by many tales, secrets and legends.
From the history
Двенадцатый век – именно этот период считают the beginning of the formation of the Old Town Square. Having successfully settled on the intersection of the trade routes of Europe, in the Middle Ages this place was a market where there was an opportunity to purchase goods brought from different countries. In the thirteenth century, the area was called - Old Market. For seven centuries, it was repeatedly renamed, until in 1895 it acquired the final name that it bears today. Old Town Square (pictured) is surrounded by a number of buildings with a long history.
Old Town Hall (from Czech Staromestska radnice)
This is the original structure, the first part of whichwas presented to the city by merchant Wolf Kamene. In 1364, a substantial sixty-six meter high tower joined it. Then, in 1381, a chapel, a little later, in 1410, on the south side of the tower, the chimes.
Пражские куранты (или орлой) имеют свою amazing story. The clock on the Old Town Square allows you to determine the current time and date, the movement of the sun and the moon, their location in the zodiac ring. Every hour, chimes represent a small performance filled with philosophical meaning.
The first part of the mechanism (clock and astronomicaldial) was created in 1410 by the master of watchmaking Mikulas, the project was developed by astronomer Jan Shindel. Then, in 1490, Jan Rouget (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, who could not allow the creation of an analogue of such watches.
Tyn Church
Church of the Virgin Mary before Tõn - actingCatholic church, its construction lasted more than two centuries - from 1339 to 1551. The author - P. Parler. In the architecture of the church you can find a mixture of such styles as Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque. Inside there are unique things, including the font (1414), the stone chair (15th century), the sculpture of Madonna and Child (1420), the altars of 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 higher than Eva.
In 1621a golden cup was removed from the main statue of the church. According to one version, the cause was the family of storks, who made a nest in the bowl. Once while feeding the chicks, the frog-shaped dinner fell on a representative of the authorities, as a result, the storks were deported, the bowl was moved.
It is noteworthy that part of the gravestones (sixty people were buried in the temple) with injuries. This is due to the existing omen, which states that to step on the stove is to get rid of toothache.
Church of St. Nicholas
Belongs to the Hussite church (churchChristian trend, the ideological founder of which is the Czech preacher and reformer Jan Hus). This temple is an invaluable baroque building that has survived to this day. At the base is a building that existed since 1273. The diameter of the dome is 20 meters, height - 49 meters. In its walls you can hear the sound of a unique organ of the 18th century, on which Mozart played; enjoy watching frescoes, woodcarving, stained glass; admiring the crystal chandelier in the shape of a crown, which was presented as a gift by the Russian emperor Alexander II.
Kinsky Palace
National cultural monument of the Czech Republic.Erected in 1765 in the Rococo style for Count Gelz. In 1768 the building was acquired by Stepan Kinsky, whose names the palace owes its real name. The palace is decorated with magnificent stucco, statues depicting ancient gods. Inside the gallery since 1949, is currently on display a collection of art objects.
The walls of the palace retained memories of manyfamous people. In 1843, Countess Kinsky was born, later became known as Bertha von Suttner, a writer, an active member of the pacifist movement and the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize. At the beginning of the 20th century, Franz Kafka studied at the gymnasium located here.
Monument to Jan Hus
The very idea of building such a monument originated inend of the 19th century and caused violent political disputes, as a result, the memorial to Jan Hus was installed 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 - the national hero of the Czech Republic, the priest,Rector of Prague University, philosopher. With absolute faith in God, he questioned the activities of the church. He is accused of heresy and burned at the stake. His execution marked the beginning of the Hussite Wars in 1419.
Interesting details
В шестидесятых годах двадцатого века площадь became a pedestrian. On its pavement there is a bronze plaque called the Prague Meridian, with an inscription in Latin which says that after noon you can see the correct Prague time. Earlier, before 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 thatNamed to reflect their style and character. The house “At the Minute” probably acquired the name on behalf of the owner of the trade shop, located in the house of Peter Minute. Another version of the origin of the name suggests that it came from the word "minuciozi", the so-called items sold in the shop. “Storczów House”, the house “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 attractiveness of Old Town Square is not onlyin magnificent buildings, temples, medieval streets. The Old City has a large number of legends and tales about the characters living outside the old walls. A ringing nun swinging the bell tongue on the Tyn tower from the pangs of conscience, a chariot of fire drawn by wild goats, a butcher with a fiery ax who did not fulfill his duty in life, and even a skeleton begging for alms and a woman of easy virtue paired with a chaplain roam through the narrow streets, departing from the Old Town Square.
Location:
Address: Prague, Stare Mesto district, Old Town Square. How to get there: 15-20 minutes on foot from the Staromestska, Mustek or Topestni Respubliki metro stations.
The Prague Metro starts at 4 am and ends after midnight. Tickets can be purchased at special machines, shops and kiosks.
