Městský dům U Tří mečů House

Welcome to the heart of old Prague. You are standing in one of the oldest and rarest streets of our city, right on Celetná Street, which will guide you through the very center of the historic act. Before your eyes is a townhouse known today as the Three Swords. Feel the atmosphere where every cube of stone and every detail of the facade tells stories hundreds of years ago. This house is not just an ordinary building in a series of houses, it is a living witness to history, standing here watching the changing world around it. Look at his appearance, the harmony he carries, and try to imagine how many people have walked before you on this street and how many views of this building have changed over the centuries.

To understand what you're seeing right now, we need to go back deep into the past. The history of this place goes far beyond the memory limits of one generation. To understand its roots, we must move on to a time when Prague has only just built its size. In the year one thousand and three hundred and eighty-nine there were major events. At that time, the house was owned by a man with a very important status, Mint Master Jan Rotlev. That's when the house started to change because Jan Parléř got married. It may sound like a simple name to you, but Jan Parléř was the son of the most famous and most important builder of the time, Peter Parlér. Imagine the incredible continuity of craft and construction that is being carried from hand to hand in this place. Jan Parléř here, after its predecessor, took the road that connected the house with the highest layers of the society at the time and left a trail that still persists today.

Now pay attention to the construction itself and to what you see right in front of you. Although the house may seem to you as a whole from one piece, in fact it's like a book with many layers that follow each other. If you look at his current appearance now, you will see the work of architect Alexander Hellmich. The house was rebuilt in a thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, according to his plans. His style is very specific and interesting, it's a romantic style that is deliberately inspired by old goth. Notice the details on the facade that evoke the ancient past and give the house a noble look. These shapes and decorations are designed to give the visitor a sense of historical dignity. But watch out, what you see on the surface is just one of many layers. This house has much older secrets in it that can't be seen at first sight. This object integrates in itself much older, original Gothic foundations. These old parts are still a solid part of the house, and are particularly visible in its cellars and in the very wall. It is a fascinating connection where the more modern work of architect Hellmich is based on solid foundations that have lasted for centuries.

Now let's think about what this place was called over time, because in ancient times, names were the main way to tell people in the streets where they were. The first written mention of the name U Serpa dates back to a thousand four hundred and seven. Imagine those period residents moving on this street, and how they perceived it. Later, in the year one thousand six hundred fifty-two, another name appears in the record, which sounds much more noble and richer: for three gold swords. This change of name reflects not only changes in perception, but perhaps changes in the very spirit of the house and its importance to the city. Today we know the house under the name Three Swords, which is a simplified form of those older, rich names.

It's very interesting how this house became part of our common heritage. Since the year one thousand nine hundred sixty-four, this object has been declared a cultural monument. This means that its value is not only in its beauty, but in what it keeps in itself for future generations. It is to protect what is important to us as citizens of this city.

When you look at the house now, try to see not only the stones and plaster in its details, but also the people who made it. You see the work of the medieval masters, you see the vision of the 17th century architect and the planning of the nineteenth century architect. All this has become a beautiful whole.

I hope that this short journey through this house has attracted you and helped you see more than just decorating in his facade. This house is just one of many wonderful pages of the book, which is Prague. So continue your journey along Celetná Street, view the next corner and let yourself drift through the atmosphere of this magical city. Thank you for spending some time at this very monument, and we will wait you out for another survey of our historical treasures. Goodbye.