Fara u svatého Haštala, Praha Parish house

Welcome to one of the quieter and quieter streets of Prague's Old Town. Please stop for a moment and take a deep look at the atmosphere of this place. You're standing in front of a building called the Haštal rectory. It's where time stopped and where every layer of plaster tells its own story from the past. Take a look at this storey house, which stands northwest of St. Hastala's church. At first glance, it may seem inconspicuous to you, but if you look at it more carefully, you will see that it carries the trail of several centuries of Prague history.

Let us now take a look together at how this building was built and how its path led. The history of this house is very deep and dates back to the beginnings of the Particle century. By the time Staré Město was densely built by craftsmen and merchants, this house was first mentioned in the letter springs already in the year thousand four hundred. Imagine how many ages and events this house has survived. He saw the bloom of medieval Prague, survived fires and wars. An interesting break in his history was the year one thousand six hundred twenty. It was this year that a woman named Voršil Šcretová sold the house to the officials of the soul of St. Hashtala. It was a period of great change when the ownership of many Prague properties changed. An important milestone then came in the year one thousand seven hundred thirteen, when the eastern part of the house was converted into a rectory, i.e. a housing and administrative space for the clerics. Since then, the building has acquired its character, which we still perceive.

Now pay attention to the architecture itself. Look at the overall form of the house. If you could see his floor plan, you would find it's shaped like a trapezoid. This is quite common in Prague Medieval and Baroque, because the houses had to fill the space between neighbouring buildings and follow the line of old streets. The whole house is built in a baroque style, which you can tell by its balance and some grandeur. Please note the facade, i.e. the outer surface of the house. See those vertical stripes that divide the wall into several parts? We call them lisen frames. These elements give the building a rhythm and structure so that it does not act as one flat wall.

But here comes something truly fascinating. If you look very carefully at the plaster, you can see the remains of the Renaissance period. There are preserved parts of the older plaster with sgraffite. Sgradito is an old decorating technique where two layers of plaster of different colours were applied and the top one was scratched in a fresh state to create an image or ornament. It's like the house is wearing an older, Renaissance dress under its baroque dress, which today is just easy to spot. It's a fascinating feeling when you see how it drags time over time.

If we could look inside at this moment, there would be other architectural treasures. The entrance to the house is characterized by a rectangular stone portal, which in summer gives a sense of stability and endurance. The interior is dominated by a rolling vault, which is typical of older Prague houses and ensured a solid ceiling construction. and if you looked at the details of the door or furniture, you would have encountered the original rococo fittings. The Rococo, which came after the Baroque, brought to architecture and design softness, lighter shapes and playfulness, which is reflected in precisely these metal details.

Although we do not know the names of the particular architects who designed this house, we see the craftsmanship of the people of our time. There were no world revolutions in this house, but there were people who made up the daily life of Prague's Old Town. Voršila Šcretová, which we mentioned, is one of the few personalities whose name ties to home, and reminds us that even behind these great historical data were specific people with their life stories.

Now I want to impress you with one interesting thing that makes this house unique even now. The Haštalské fara is not only a historical monument protected by the state as a real estate cultural monument of the Czech Republic. This building also has a contemporary, very important spiritual dimension. It serves as the seat of the Apostolic Exarchate of the Greek Catholic Church in the Czech Republic. It is therefore a place where the history of old Prague meets the spiritual life of a community that combines the traditions of Eastern Christianity with the recognition of the Pope. It is fascinating to imagine that in a house that originated more than six styles ago, it still pulses life and performs its role as a centre of faith and governance.

When you're standing in front of this building, try to imagine the sound of the streets around you changing. From the sounds of horse hooves and the screams of merchants in the year one thousand four hundred, to the baroque peace of the rectory, to today's noise of the modern city. The Hashtali rectory is like a silent guard who watches everything and doesn't say anything, but everything shows us through his lisen, sgraffite and stone portal.

Now that you know the story of this house, I suggest you go around it again slowly and try to find those Renaissance footprints in the facade details. Feel the contrast between the Baroque form and Renaissance decoration. It is a small piece of Prague which is not as crowded with visitors as Charles Bridge, but does not give in to its value and history.

Thank you for stopping by the Hashtali parish with me. I hope you are interested in this short trip to the past and that you are now seeing this house with different eyes. We now invite you to explore the streets of Old Town. Let yourself be guided by curiosity and discover other hidden pearls of our city. I wish you a pleasant journey and a beautiful day in Prague. Goodbye.