Page 74 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Prague

72  PR A GUE AREA B Y AREA

0 Jan Hus
Monument
Pomník Jana Husa
Staroměstské náměstí. Map 3 B3.
X Staroměstská.
At one end of the Old Town
Square stands the massive
monument to the religious
reformer and Czech hero, Jan Hus
(see pp28–9). Hus was burnt at
the stake after being pronounced
a heretic by the Council of
Constance in 1415. The
monument by Ladislav Šaloun
was unveiled in 1915 on the
Statue of the Madonna on Our Lady before Týn 500th anniversary of his death. It
shows two groups of people, one
8 Church of Our 9 Kinský Palace of victorious Hussite warriors, the
Lady before Týn Palác Kinských other of Protestants forced into
Kostel Matky Boží Před Týnem Staroměstské náměstí 12. Map 3 C3. exile 200 years later, and a young
Staroměstské náměstí 14. Map 3 C3. Tel 224 810 758. X Staroměstská. mother symbolizing national
rebirth. The dominant figure of
Tel 222 318 186. X Staroměstská, Open 10am–6pm Tue–Sun. & 0 Hus emphasizes the moral
Můstek. Open 10am–1pm & 3–5pm 7 ∑ ngprague.cz authority of the man who gave
Tue–Sat, 10am–noon Sun. 5 6pm
Tue–Thu, 3pm Fri, 8am Sat, 9:30am & This lovely Rococo palace, up life rather than his beliefs.
9pm Sun. ^ ∑ tyn.cz designed by Kilian Ignaz
Dientzenhofer, has a pretty q Church of
Dominating the Old Town pink and white stucco façade
Square are the magnificent crowned with statues of the St Nicholas
multiple steeples of this historic four elements by Ignaz Franz Kostel Sv. Mikuláše
church. The present Gothic Platzer. It was bought from Staroměstské náměstí. Map 3 B3.
building was started in the Golz family in 1768 by Tel 602 958 927. X Staroměstská.
1365 and soon became Štépán Kinský, an Imperial Open 10am–4pm daily (from noon
associated with the diplomat. In 1948, Sun). 5 10am Sun, noon Wed.
reform movement in Communist leader, ∑ svmikulas.cz
Bohemia. From the Klement Gottwald,
early 15th century used the balcony There has been a church here
until 1620, Týn was to address a huge since the 12th century. It was
the main Hussite crowd of party the Old Town’s parish church
church in Prague. members – a key and meeting place until Týn
The Hussite king, event in the crisis that Church was completed in the
George of Poděbrady, Kinský arms on led up to his coup 14th century. After the Battle of
took Utraquist Kinský Palace d’état. The National the White Mountain in 1620 (see
communion (see Gallery now uses pp32–3), the church became
Church of St Martin in the Wall the Kinský Palace for its “Arts of part of a Benedictine
p77) here and had a gold Asia and Africa” exhibition. monastery. The present
chalice – the Utraquist symbol – church by Kilian Ignaz
mounted on the façade. After Dientzenhofer, was
1621, the chalice was melted completed in 1735.
down to become part of the Its dramatic white
statue of the Madonna that façade is studded
replaced it. with statues by
On the northern side of the Antonín Braun.
church is a beautiful entrance When in 1781
portal (1390) decorated with Emperor Joseph II
scenes of Christ’s passion. The
dark interior has some notable
features, including Gothic
sculptures of Calvary, a pewter
font (1414) and a 15th-century
Gothic pulpit. Behind the church
is the Týn Courtyard, with its
numerous architectural styles. Defiant Hussites on the Jan Hus Monument in Old Town Square

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