STONE BELL HOUSE - PRAGUE CITY GALLERY

Open Tuesday through Sunday from 1pm to 8pm. Admission: 150 Kč, reduced rate 60 Kč (students and under 10 years old).

STONE BELL HOUSE

According to the latest architectural and historical studies, the beginnings of U Kamenného zvonu date back to the second half of the 13th century, when a longitudinal side building was erected behind a massive corner tower with massive surrounding walls. The earliest phase of construction has been preserved in the cellars and on the ground floor of the south wing.

The second phase of construction followed around 1310, when a chapel was established on the ground floor with rich figurative and ornamental paintings covering the walls and the vault. The reconstruction of the building in the second quarter of the 14th century was a representative burgher's palace with a tower angle, which is a remarkable testimony to the activity of the north-facing court foundry and is a unique example of this type of architecture in Prague.

The main feature of the facade, richly decorated with Gothic architectural elements, was the figurative decoration in plastic. Its iconographic program celebrated the idea of the kingdom and the ruling family - in this context it was assumed that the builder was someone from the royal court. A typical house sign was placed on the corner of a building in the 16th century. After 1685 and in the 18th century, Baroque remodelling took place. Extensive architectural and historical research preceded the demanding reconstruction of the building U Kamenného zvonu, during which the neo-Baroque facade from the 19th century was demolished and the Gothic facade was uncovered.

The reconstruction was completed in 1988 and the city allocated the building to the Prague Capital Gallery, which serves as an exhibition space for its major exhibition projects. A book and catalogue shop is open in the building and the café U zvonu is located in the lower rear part of the building.