Měšťanský dům u radnice v Kroměříži House

The town hall house with a descriptive number 20 is a historic building on the corner of Kovářská street and the Grand Square in the centre of Kroměříže. This building, protected as a real-estate cultural monument of the Czech Republic, evolved from the early modern age through the Baroque and 19th century to the modern age. It reflects changes in administration and urban life in the city. The house bears traces of an older building form supplemented by baroque and historical elements and is firmly associated with a number of important personalities.

The oldest history and the creation of the building are described by written sources from the early modern era. In this building, sometimes referred to as the Old Bread House, in 1612 the townsman Lukáš Ouštěcký is reminded. The historical context was shaped by numerous ownership changes and building modifications, which gradually enriched the architectural character of the Baroque and historical elements of the nineteenth century.

The architectural form combines older foundations with Baroque modifications. The historical elements included the stucco field among the windows on the floor which originally carried the painted scene of the Coronation of the Virgin Mary. The coat of arms of Cardinal František Dietrichstein with a inscription containing his title of Olomouc Bishop and Prince are placed on the corner pillar. A significant element from the nineteenth century is the balustrade above the facade designed by architect Gustav Meretta. On the balustard is a composition of four terracotta allegorical statues of muses. From left to right represent Painting, Architecture, Sculpture and Music. The whole sculpture composition is closed from both sides by a pair of decorative vases with hubcaps.

In the course of centuries, a number of owners and administrators took place in possession of the house. In 1661, it was bought by Bishop's religious scribe Jakub Zubřický. His widow Mariana later took Šimon Ondřej Sinapi. It was an adventurous Bishopric Mint Vardain, or deputy Maccmaster responsible for running the Bishopric Mint, which used the SAS brand. In 1770 he bought a house for 4000 gold Rhine metal merchant Jiří Rösner. His only daughter, Theresa, married to Francis Pipal, took over his inheritance. In 1872, the building was acquired by the last German magistrate of the city, Dr. August Benesch. Since 1893, it was owned by the attorney Dr. Alois Kusák, editor and publisher of the local attack magazine Velehrad. In 1899, the house was sold to the perfectionist and merchant Leopold Stránski. Since 1939, the historiographer of the city František Václav Peřinka has lived there and also died here.

The year 1696 can be mentioned from key events related to the history of the building. At that time, the French-Swedish sculptor Jean Baptiste Dusart made two baroque sculptures related to the memory of Simon Ondřej Sinapi, who now stands in the streets of Na Kopěk and Kobot and remains unpaid by the client. The important milestone was the year 1872, when the magistrate August Benesch left above the facade the said balustrad with four muses. Between 1963 and 1964, the building underwent a general renovation. In 2001 and again in 2021, restoration interventions took place on sculpture decoration of balustrad. The last repair was supported by a grant from the Urban Monument Reservation Regeneration Programme and the Urban Monument Zones.

Today this monument serves its original urban purpose and after modern modifications also to visitors of the city. In 2016, a bar with a terrace was opened on the roof, offering a view of the Great Square with a Baroque fountain and Mariánské pole and nearby Archbishop's castle. The House of Town Hall represents a valuable part of the historical core Kroměříže, which connects ancient architecture with modern use for the public. Visit this remarkable place and discover a combination of Baroque art, the history of local personalities and a remarkable view of the city's dominance.