Stare Mesto - The Rough Guide to Prague - page 119

The rather severe Nová radnice , on the east side of Mariánské náměstí, is home to the city
council. It'shardtobelieve that itwasbuilt byOsvald Polívka, architect oftheexuberant Art
Nouveau Obecní dům . The most striking features are the two gargantuan figures that stand
guard at either corner, by the sculptor of the Hus Monument, Ladislav Šaloun. The one on
the left, looking like Darth Vader,isthe “IronKnight”, mascot ofthe armourers' guild; tothe
right is the grotesquely caricatured sixteenth-century Jewish sage and scholar, Rabbi Löw .
Löw was visited by Death on several occasions, but escaped his clutches until he reached the
ripe old age of 97, when the Grim Reaper hid in a rose innocently given to him by his grand-
daughter.
Clam-Gallasův palác
Husova 20 • Exhibitions Tues-Sun 10am-6pm • 100Kč • 236 001 111, ahmp.cz • Metro Staroměstská
Despite its size - it occupies the ground space of a good five or six old houses - the Baroque
Clam-Gallasůvpalác is easy to overlook in the tight space of Husova. It's a typically lavish
affair by the Viennese architect Fischer von Erlach, with big and burly Atlantes support-
ing the portals. There are regular historical exhibitions here, organized by the Prague City
Archives, and evening concerts that allow you to climb the grandiose staircase and have a
peek at the sumptuous Baroque ceremonial rooms.
< Back to Staré Město
Malé náměstí
Metro Staroměstská
Traditionally the last stop on the way from Charles Bridge to Staroměstské náměstí is di-
minutive Malé náměstí , originally settled by French merchants in the twelfth century. The
square was also home to the first apothecary in Prague, opened by a Florentine in 1353; the
pharmacy U zlaté koruny (The Golden Crown), at no. 13, which boasts a restored Baroque
interior,withchandeliers andafewdrugjars,isnowajewellers'. Howeverthesquare'sbest-
known building is the russet-red, neo-Renaissance Rott Haus , originally an ironmonger's
shop founded by V.J. Rott in 1840, whose facade is smothered in agricultural scenes and mo-
tifs inspired by the Czech artist Mikuláš Aleš. At the centre of the square stands a Renais-
sance fountain, dating from 1560, which retains its beautiful, original wrought-iron canopy,
though it's no longer functioning.
< Back to Staré Město
Staroměstské náměstí (Old Town Square)
Metro Staroměstská
Datingbacktoaroundthetenthcentury, Staroměstskénáměstí iseasilythemostspectacular
square in Prague, the city's traditional epicentre and its oldest open space. It has had at least
seven names over its thousand-year history, only gaining its current moniker in 1895. Most