Richtrův dům House

Richtrův dům, also known as Fast House, Martinique or U Blue Deer, is a historic building located on the Old Town of Prague between Little Square and Michal Street. This monument is an important layer of architectural styles from the Romanesque period to classicism. In the past, it served as the seat of Prague's first telephone centre.

The original land on which the house stands changed over the centuries. In the second half of the 14th century, part of these plots were sold to St. Michael's Church. At the time of the creation of the oldest parts of the building, Gothic was developed in the Czech Republic, which significantly affected the future form of the building.

The architecture of the house represents a summary of several construction periods. The Romanesque core, which probably dates back to the first half of the 13th century, has been preserved under the eastern part at the Little Square. During the Gothic period, the houses were rebuilt several times, reaching the height of the second or third floor in the western part. These last Gothic adjustments date back to the last quarter of the 14th century and the end of the 15th century. In the second half of the 16th century, a Renaissance reconstruction took place. It was particularly visible at the houses near Michal Street, which were increased at the time. In the 18th century the building was modified in Baroque style and in the third quarter of the century also in Rococo style. In 1798 a classical porticus was built on the side of the Small Square by Johann Ludwig Kranner.

The history of the construction was closely linked to individual owners and major reconstructions. In 1714-1726 the individual houses were joined together and the resulting building was rebuilt by Countess Marie Josef Martinicová. Today the house is protected as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic.

There were important events in the building and there were interesting people. In one of the houses called "The Mourenín" in the second half of the 14th century, the Florentine apothecary Augustine had a pharmacy, which was also the owner of the garden on the Sloupi. In more modern history, the house has become a technological hub. Since 1882, Prague's business for telephony has been based here, which was the first telephone centre in Prague. At first, only 10 to 13 users served the headquarters, but after a few months there were 98. The Centre was abolished in 1902 as part of centralization and moved to the main post office building in Jindřišská Street.

Richtrův dům is located today in close proximity to the church of St. Michael and home U Zlaté lily or U Zlaté eagles. It is a place where the rotation of European architectural directions in one building can be observed directly. For visitors to Prague, this building is a valuable witness to the technological and construction development of the city.