Dům čp. 135 House

Welcome to Prachatice, in the heart of this beautiful city, where history meets the present in every stone. You're standing in front of a house with a number hundred and thirty-five on top street. If you look at him now, you'll see a building that tells the story of changes in time, the wealth of townspeople and the courage to start again when everything else burned. It is a house that with its face represents the golden age of the Renaissance, but within its soul hides much older secrets.

Let's stop together and think about how this object was born. Imagine Prachatice in the middle of the fourteenth century, about a thousand three hundred and fifty. At that time, there was not one big house, but two separate Gothic buildings. They were typical houses of their time, narrow and tall, which formed a series of houses along the main road. Life in them was different, the rhythm of the city dictated other needs. But the history of the city wasn't always calm. In the year one thousand eight hundred and one, exactly one thousand eight hundred and one, the city was struck by a devastating fire. Fire is destruction, but in the Prachatics, paradoxically, it became an impulse to a new bloom. After this fire, there was a major rebuilding that prepared the ground for what you see today.

Around the year a thousand and five hundred and fifty something crucial happened. Two original Gothic houses were connected to one large Renaissance mansion. This move was not only practical, but also a symbol of status. The owner wanted to show his power and wealth, and that's why he had the house transformed into the style he was controlling Europe at the time. The Renaissance brought light, space and new aesthetics. It was at this time that the resemblance that defines the house was created today.

Now please look up. Pay attention to the top of the facade. What you see there is the real jewel of this house. It is a Renaissance aetika that is carried out here in the form of battlements. Notice how this finishing part of the house creates an interesting profile against the sky. Attica with battlements was not only an ornament, it was designed to cover the roof space and at the same time to provide the house with a proud and fortified look, resembling a wall ending. It is an element that makes the house the dominant of the entire street and reminds us of how proud the then inhabitants of Prachatico were of their architecture.

But if you look closely at the facade details, notice the right corners. Do you see a tall, thin niche? It's a vertical hole in the wall, which today is empty, but probably used to place the statue in the past. Imagine how a stone figure once stood here, perhaps a holy protector of the house, or a significant person who watched from a height all the people walking through the Upper Street. This empty niche is like a quiet creed of what time takes with it, but at the same time it encourages us to imagine, to complete who could stand there.

It's important to realize that the house you see isn't frozen in time, but it's constantly evolving. If you look at the surface of the walls, you see a trace of classicism. About a thousand and eight hundred years ago, the facade was adapted to fit the modern taste that emphasized the purity of lines and moderation. And if you look at the windows in the atics, you'll see a trail from the early 20th century. In the year of a thousand and nine hundred twenty, there was a change of windows and a second floor was set up to make the house better for living. Each of these layers is like a chapter in a book that we're now reading together.

And now we come to the part that is perhaps the most fascinating, even if at first glance you can't see. Imagine if we moved to the back of the house. That's where the real treasure from the Middle Ages lies. There is a section of the Gothic wall that dates back to the 14th century. It's a fascinating contrast. You're standing in front of the Renaissance front, but in the back of the house, there's a history of urban fortification. This wall brings us back to a time when the city was surrounded by walls for its protection and when the walls separated not only the neighbors, but protected entire communities from outside enemies. The fact that this part of the wall has survived is incredible happiness and makes this house a unique monument.

Who built this house? Who lived in it? The names of architects and specific personalities who left their mark here remained unknown in the fog of time. But that's where the spell lies. The house is not linked to one famous name, but to thousands of anonymous lives that have taken place here. Traders, craftsmen and families who lived here slept and dreamed. This house is a representative of the rich township that built this city into such beauty.

In a thousand and nine hundred and fifty-eight, the house was officially registered as a protected cultural monument. That means the state has recognised its irreplaceable value for our culture and history. Today, the house is part of the urban conservation, which guarantees that even future generations will be able to admire its battlements and touch the history of its walls.

If you look at him for the last time, try to perceive the atmosphere of this place. Feel how gothic, Renaissance and Classicism intersect here. It's like a symphony of different centuries that sounds in one object. From the wall in the back, to the connection of two houses, to the noble attics above. All together, it makes up the identity of Prachatic.

Now let's close this stop slowly. I hope you enjoyed this short trip in time and that you have noticed all the details, from thin nothing to the battlements on the roof. This house is just one of the many jewels that Prachatice offers you. I invite you to continue to explore this beautiful street and discover other hidden stories waiting for you around every corner.

Thank you for your attention and I wish you a wonderful rest of the day in our historic city. Goodbye.