fara (Nové Město) Parish house

Welcome to the New Town of Prague, in the picturesque Vysehrad Street. You are standing in front of the remarkable historical building of the former rectory of St. John Nepomuk in Skalka. Take the outside world out of your head for a moment and listen to the story of this place while you have the whole building right in front of you. When you look up, you see a whole complex that breathes on you through the atmosphere of past times. The whole complex consists of a main building, a charming garden pavilion, a garden harboring the remains of earlier sculptures, a spacious terrace, an impressive entrance staircase and a solid wall that defines the whole area from the surrounding bustle of the city. Look carefully at what's in front of you and let the shapes and lines that have been formed here years ago.

Now let's move back in time and look at how this place actually came into being and what its historical context is. Today's form of the rectory and its surroundings has its solid roots in the early 20th century. Between a thousand and nine hundred and two and a thousand and nine hundred and four, this new building grew up according to the construction plans and designs of an important architect whose name is closely linked to this building. This creator was Antonín Wiehl. But before this new building was built, the rectory was in a quite different place. Around the year one thousand eight hundred and ninety you would find the original rectory elsewhere, specifically in the back wing of the famous Faust house. Only the need for a new and more dignified background brought the decision to build a completely new farm building at today's address in Vysehradská Street, where the construction in the year one thousand nine hundred and four came to its successful completion.

Now pay attention to the architecture itself and the details you can observe at the construction site. The whole complex bears the unmistakable features of the Neo-Baroque style. When you look at the main building of the rectory, notice its balanced shape and overall expression designed by the said architect Antonín Wiehl. You can also wander to the garden pavilion or on the terrace where the remains of the former sculptures are found. Although the tooth of time and change of centuries has marked something, you can still admire the art of old creators. The entrance staircase invites you to the imaginary entrance to history and the fencing wall closes this picturesque complex, which forms a harmonious oasis in the middle of the city building. Each element reflects the craftsmanship and construction style of the time when the building was built.

There are also many interesting stories and historical personalities behind this place that have shaped spiritual and cultural life in the surroundings. A significant chapter is the connection with the figure of St. John Nepomuk. As early as in the year, much earlier than this new parish building, a wooden statue of St. John Nepomuk was created. Its author was an extraordinarily gifted artist Ignác Platzer. This sculpting work has marked the spiritual focus of the whole place, which later carried the world name. Ignác Platzer has imprinted a deep expression and respect in the wood, thus enriches the local tradition. When you imagine that the clergymen of this district used to live in the back wing of Faust's house, and years later they moved to a newly built area by architect Antonín Wiehl, you can see how the destinies of people, art and church administration intersect here.

Let's uncover another interesting thing that connects to this building. The whole complex, which was built between a thousand and nine hundred and two to a thousand and nine hundred four according to the plans of architect Antonín Wiehl, includes not only the above mentioned main building and garden pavilion, but also a terrace with sculpture decoration, entrance staircase, fenced wall and large garden. You may be surprised that this historic building from the beginning of the twentieth century has undergone transformations over the years, and today it is being rebuilt for other purposes, while still retaining its external historical character and commemorating the glory of new-city buildings. The garden, even though it only carries the remains of the original sculpture decoration today, still breathes secrets and invites you to think about what kind of talks were held here over a hundred years ago.

In conclusion to our meeting with this monument today, I would like to invite you to explore the area further. When you have finished listening to this recording, walk slowly along the wall, see the garden pavilion and feel the atmosphere of Vysehrad Street, which remembers the steps of many generations ahead. Thank you for your attention, I hope you enjoyed this little excursion to the history of the rectory at St. John Nepomuk's on Skalka, and I wish you the beautiful rest of the day when exploring the other treasures of our city. Goodbye.