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Old Town Square
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Prague City Guide:
Charles bridge
Old Town Square
Old Town Hall
Orloj - the clock of the Town Hall
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Why should you visit Prague?
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The heart of the city is the Old Town, and its central square. In the beginning of the 10th century there were small sporadic villages on the area of the Old Town; their development to a town was supported by the three main routes starting from the fords of Moldava. In the end of the 11th century several villages began to develop along these routes, and Bavarian merchants settled down here, having their market on the grounds of the present-day Old Town. Around the market place houses and churches were built soon, later a zigzagged, labyrinthal network of streets evolved, some of them remaining until our times.Old Town square is roughly quadrangle in its shape, on an area of about 9.000 sqm. Eight streets come out of it directly, indirectly much more. Its shape and size was defined by king Wenceslas I, after the unification of the sporadic villages. The town walls were built in that time, with a defensive ditch on the line of the present-day inner boulevard. The district was entitled with town rights and in the 15th century its great age began.
The square was the scene of several historical events. Its saddest day was June 21st 1621, when twenty-seven aristocrats and citizens were beheaded for taking part in the plot against king Ferdinand II. As a memorial, at the wall of the Town Hall facing with the statue of Jan Hus twenty-seven crosses can be seen on the pavement even today.
The square is surrounded by gothic houses with arcades, and palaces with fronts in renaissance and baroque styles. Its main buildings and sights are the Old Town Hall, St. Nicholas Church, the Virgin Mary Church near the Tyn, the Stone Bell house, the Kinsky Palace and the statue of Jan Hus.
Monument of Jan Hus: the statue stands in the middle of the Northern half of the square. It is a large statue in secessionist style, a masterpiece of Valdislav Saloun. This Czech reformer, respected as a national hero, was sentenced to be burnt on the stake for heresy; this statue was inaugurated on the 500th anniversary of his death.
Stone Bell house this very nice small gothic palace was built between 1330 and 1340, with period frescos. The house is considered to be the most valuable Middle Ages building in Prague.
St. Nicholas Church: it was built between 1732 and 1735 in baroque style. It was planned by Kilia Ignaz Dientzenhofer, its sculptures were made by Antonin Braun. The frescos in its dome depict the lives of St. Nicholas and St. Benedict, the main ornament in its nave is the chandelier forming a crown. Several concerts are held here in the summer.
Virgin Mary Church: the laced tips of the ancient church can be seen from a long distance. On the command of George Podiebrad calixtine Czech king, the symbol of the Hussites, a golden calix was put on its front, later this calix was melted down and a statue of Virgin Mary was cast from it. The statue was built on the place of the calix. On the Northern gate the sufferings of Jesus Christ are depicted, inside the pulpit and the stone baldachin is worth to mention.
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