dům U Zlatého rohu House

The Golden Horn House, located in the Old Town in Prague, is a historical monument with a rich past and architectural changes that reflect changes of Czech society. This building, located on the corner between Old Town Square and Small Town Square, is protected as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic since 1958. Its history dates back to the Middle Ages, when there were two houses on the site of today's building, which were joined in 1623 and rebuilt into a late Renaissance style. The house has undergone several architectural phases, including baroque modifications and classical changes.

There were originally two houses; the first mention of the northerner dates back to 1404. In 1563, half of these houses were acquired by Matyáš Bydžovský z Aventina, then the scribe of the Old Town Council and professor of Prague University. After connecting two houses in 1623, the building was expanded and rebuilt into a late Renaissance style, which included a corner bay and sgraffiti decoration. Jan Dominik de Barifis is considered a builder, who could also have been the author of similar details of the Evangelical Salvator Church.

In 1622, the house was confiscated after the emigration of John to the Elder Ledčanski of Popic and bought by Bartoloměj de Pauli z Poly. In the first half of the 18th century there was a Baroque reconstruction of the facade of the house, which included windows and an onion pit of the bay. Later, in 1801, the facade was moderately modified in the spirit of classicism by Philip and Francis Heger.

The reconstruction was carried out according to the design of architect Pavel Janák in 1938, which fundamentally changed the interior of the house. This reconstruction included the storming of the halls and replacing the Renaissance staircase with modern ones. The Gothic cellars were mostly disposed of by building public toilets, which represented a brutal hit on the historical elements of the house.

Since 2015, there has been a non-profit in the Golden Horn House dealing with educational and humanitarian programs. Among them is the Skaut Institute A. B. Svojííík, which provides its premises for meetings of Czech wikipedia. There is also a cafe in operation.

Today it is worth visiting dům U Zlatého rohu not only because of its historical and architectural changes, but also because it is a living part of the cultural and social life of Prague. Its rich past and current function makes this house an important monument, offering visitors the opportunity to explore both history and the present day of Prague.