Page 129 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Prague

LIT TLE QU AR TER  127

2 Church of
St Thomas
Kostel Sv. Tomáše
Josefská 8. Map 2 E3. Tel 257 530 556.
X Malostranská. v 12, 20, 22.
Open 11:30am–1pm & 4–6pm Mon–
Sat. 5 12:15pm Mon–Sat (and 6pm
Sat in English); 9:30am (Czech), 11am
(English), 12:30pm (Spanish), 6pm
(Czech) in summer and 5pm (Czech)
in winter Sun. ^ 7 (call in advance).
Founded by Wenceslas II in 1285
as the monastery church of
the Augustinians, the original
Gothic church was completed
in 1379. In the Hussite period
(see pp28–9), this was one of the Arcade in front of buildings on the north side of Little Quarter Square
few churches to remain Catholic.
As a result, it suffered serious fire The originals are found in the site of the outbreak of the fire of
damage. During the reign of Sternberg Palace (see pp112–15). 1541, which destroyed most
Rudolph II (see pp30–31), St The English-speaking Catholic of the Little Quarter. Beside it
Thomas’s developed strong community of Prague meets in stands the Smiřický Palace.
links with the Imperial court. this church. Its turrets and hexagonal
Several members of Rudolph’s towers make it an unmistakable
entourage were buried here, 3 Little Quarter landmark on the northern side
such as court architect Ottavio of the lower square. The Baroque
Aostalli and the sculptor Square Kaiserstein Palace is situated at
Adriaen de Vries. Malostranské Náměstí the eastern side. On the façade
In 1723, the church was struck Map 2 E3. X Malostranská. is a bust of the great Czech
by lightning and Kilian Ignaz v 12, 20, 22. sopr ano Emmy Destinn (Ema
Dientzenhofer was called in Destinnová), who lived there
to rebuild it. The shape of the The square has been the centre between 1908 and 1914. She
original church was preserved of life in the Little Quarter since often sang with the famous
in the Baroque reconstruction its foundation in 1257. It started Italian tenor Enrico Caruso.
but, apart from the spire, the life as a large market place in the
church today betrays little of outer bailey of Prague Castle. 4 Church of
its Gothic origins. The interior But soon, buildings sprang up
of the dome and the curving in the middle of the square St Nicholas
ceiling frescoes in the nave dividing it in half and a gallows Kostel Sv. Mikuláše
were painted by Václav Vavřinec and pillory were erected in its See pp128–9.
Reiner. Above the altar are lower part.
copies of paintings by Rubens – Most of the houses around 5 Museum
The Martyrdom of St Thomas the square have a medieval
and a picture of St Augustine. core, but all were rebuilt in Montanelli
the Renaissance and Baroque Muzeum Montanelli
periods. The centre of the Nerudova 13. Map 2 D3. Tel 257 531
square is dominated by the 220. X Malostranská. v 12, 20, 22.
splendid Baroque church of Open 2–6pm Tue–Sun (from 1pm Sat
St Nicholas. The large building & Sun). & 8 7 = -
beside it was a Jesuit college. ∑ muzeummontanelli.com
Along the upper side of the
square, facing the church, runs The Museum Montanelli
the vast Neo-Classical façade of (MuMo) is one of a handful
Lichtenstein Palace. In front of small private museums
of it stands a column raised in the Czech Republic. MuMo’s
in honour of the Holy Trinity aim is to present imaginative,
to mark the end of a plague modern art in a historical
epidemic in 1713. setting, while maintaining the
Other important buildings DrAK Foundation’s permanent
include the Little Quarter collec tion. There is an impressive
Town Hall with its splendid selection of educational pro-
Baroque ceiling in the nave of the Renaissance façade and the grammes for children, including
Church of St Thomas Sternberg Palace, built on the weekend workshops.

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