Dům čp. 388 House

Welcome, distinguished visitors, to one of the most beautiful corners of our region. Please stop for a moment, breathe deeply into the air of this historic city and concentrate fully on what you see right in front of you. You're standing in front of the house with the number three hundred and eight and eight. It's a building that seems modest at first glance, but it carries an incredibly rich story about how it used to live and build in these positions. Look at his shapes. You see a ground floor building in front of you, which is a fascinating combination of two different ways of building. Notice how the grafted walls of wood and the parts that have been walled from stone or bricks are alternated here. It is this combination of materials that gives the house its unique character and reminds us of the time when builders used what they had at their disposal in the surrounding countryside and what local crafts provided.

We are located in the street Zailici, which is where history still breathes in every stone and every piece of wood. In order to understand the meaning of this house, we must move back almost two walls of time together. Let's imagine a year of a thousand eight hundred thirty-two. It was this year that this house was built. At that time, it was a modern residence which was intended to serve its owners as a safe haven and a place for their everyday lives. Imagine what this street looked like in the year one thousand eight hundred thirty-two, what people it was inhabited by and what sounds were made here. This house witnessed many generations, saw changes in fashion, even in the very layout of the city. It's fascinating to think that the walls you see now were standing here at a time when the world looked completely different than it did today.

Now pay attention to the construction itself. As I mentioned before, the house is flat and combines grafting with walled elements. If you look carefully at the facade and the walls, you will see how the wooden beams form the basic skeleton of the house, while the walls give it stability and resistance. That was a very reasonable choice at the time to ensure the long life of the building. Architecturally, this house is very interesting with its triple disposition. This means that the inner space was divided into three main parts, which was at that time a typical way of organizing the household to be functional and practical. Although you are standing outside now, I would like to invite you to imagine in your mind what is under the roof. One of the most valuable details of this house is its inner ceiling. It is a wooden flip-down beam ceiling, which is also dated. Such details are rare today and are extremely important to us as historians and lovers of old buildings, because they tell us exactly when and how the construction was implemented.

When we think about the people who designed and built this house, we have to acknowledge that their names remain forgotten. We don't know the particular architect or the names of the craftsmen who, with patience, carved wood and folded stones. But that's where the magic of this place lies. This house is not a monument to a famous person, but it is a monument to ordinary people, their work, their implication and their desire for home. He is a silent witness to the daily life of the Štramberk residents from the nineteenth century. Although we don't know exactly who lived in this house, we can feel their presence in every detail that has been preserved.

This house is not just an old building. In the year one thousand nine hundred ninety-four it was officially declared a cultural monument of the Czech Republic. That's a very significant recognition. It means that the state recognised its historical, architectural and cultural value and decided that it was necessary to protect this object for future generations. House number three hundred eight and eight is also part of the city conservation in Štramberk. This means that it is not perceived as a separate object, but as an important piece of the big puzzle, which is the entire historical center of the city. It is thanks to the fact that the house is part of the reservation that it retains its authentic atmosphere and helps maintain the overall image of the old town that we are so interested in today.

Maybe now you're wondering why it's so important to keep such houses. The answer is that these buildings are like open books. When we look at the combination of grafting and masonry, we learn about the availability of materials at the time. When we see a triple available, we learn about how the place for sleep, cooking, and work used to be shared. And that dated ceiling is like a contractor's signature telling us that even in a thousand eight hundred thirty-two people wanted to leave a trail. It's a certain mystery that the house keeps in itself, which can only be revealed by those who look at it with attention and respect.

Try to look at the house as a whole again. Feel his ratio to Zahulici Street, see how he fits into the neighborhood. It is harmony that has emerged gradually, without strain, in line with the needs of people and the possibilities of time. It's where time stopped, and now you're part of this stop. It is fascinating that the house that was built in the year one thousand eight hundred thirty-two still stands and still attracts us with its simplicity and truthfulness.

I hope you were interested in this short trip to history and that you could imagine what life was like in these walls. This house is just one of the many gems Štramberk has to offer. It is a reminder that beauty does not have to be in monumental palaces or huge cathedrals, but can also be found in an ordinary ground house with grafted walls, provided that the soul and history are preserved in it.

Now I invite you to slowly say good-bye to house number three hundred eight and eight and continue to explore this wonderful city monument reservation. Go through other alleys, note the details of other buildings and be guided by the atmosphere of this unique place. Every other house you pass can have its own unique story waiting to be discovered. I wish you a pleasant continuation in your discovery of Štramberk and enjoy every moment in this historic paradise. Goodbye and have a good trip.