The house "U Minuty" is an exquisite building in Prague, which is a typical example of the architecture of the Czech bourgeois Renaissance.
The house is protected as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic.
House "U Minuty" is located in the heart of the historical part of Prague, on the famous Old Town Square (Staroměstske namesti) and is a corner building, on the one hand adjacent to the complex Old Town Hall (Staroměstska radnice), and on the other - to the house "U Zolotogo Roga" (House U Zlatého Roha), the main facade facing Small Square (Malé náměstí).
It is difficult not to notice the house by the Minute, because it stands out from the buildings of the surrounding ensemble, since its facade is dotted with ornaments-sgraffito.
A small two-storey house with a courtyard in the late Gothic style on this site was built in the first half of the 15th century. In 1430, a part of the neighboring building was attached to the house.
After 1564, the house was changed and acquired a Renaissance style. At the end of the 16th century, a low third floor was added, topped with a massive lunette cornice.
Outstanding sgraffito ornaments were created in two stages - before 1600 and before 1615. The sgraffito were hidden and removed during the Baroque reconstruction of the building, but have been discovered and restored since 1919.
The graffiti adorning the house, applied to the front facades of the building, represent the richness of the Renaissance and depict biblical and mythological scenes, as well as plots of modern Renaissance legends and historical important personalities.
Today, the House "At the Minute" is a typical example of the architecture of the Czech bourgeois Renaissance.
The house is also famous for the fact that the writer Franz Kafka and his parents lived in it from 1889 to 1896.
During its history, the house served as a pharmacy - until 1712 it belonged to Matey Bartle, who had a pharmacy in the house. At that time the house was called "At the White Lion". The name of the White Lion was due to the fact that since the end of the 18th century there has been a stone statue of a white lion in the classical style as a sign of the house here. The lion sculpture still adorns the corner of the house today.
The later name of the house is "U Minuty", derived from the word "Minucicí", which means "very small, small".
Today, the restaurant "At the Minute" is located on the ground floor of the building.
Practical information
The address of the house By the Minute: Staroměstské náměstí 2, 110 00 Praha 1 - Staré Město.
Coordinates of the house At The Minute: 50°05'12.3"N 14°25'12.0"E (50.086756, 14.420006).
All accommodation facilities in Prague (hotels, apartments, guest houses, etc.), including in the historical center of the city and more remotely from it, can be viewed and booked here
