Page:Guide to the Bohemian section and to the Kingdom of Bohemia - 1906.djvu/24

20 one of the largest squares in central Europe—the other takes you by the site of the large new town-house now in process of erection (chiefly for representative and social purposes and planned by the architects Balšánek and Polívka in a modernized renaissance style), straight to the centre of the old town by its most lively although narrow street—the Celetná ulice, beginning at the Powder-gate. This street is still quite mediaeval in its character, narrow, crooked, but full of life, bustle and commotion. A very interesting view is obtained from the shady passage of the street of the monumental building formerly by the military commando, now used as the country law-court, which has a beautiful balcony carried by cariatides, and was in 1848 the scene of the first bloody revolutionary event; farther on at the corner of the Ovocný trh (Fruit-market) there is an interesting house with the picture of the „Black mother of God“, while on the opposite side is a group of picturesque buildings and as mall lane (Templová ulička) which opens half hidden under a low arcade into the chief street. Going on through the crooked street we reach the beautiful house of the Counts of Millesimo, now the „casino of the nobility“, and passing a line of finely built houses of the characteristic Prague style we land at the end of the street before the steeples of the Týn church, glimmering high above the roofs of the houses in their shining covering of slate. The shape of these steeples is quite unique among all the Gothic steeples in Europe, and few can be found which could equal or even approach them in the peculiarity of general design and the details. The steeples are the chief object of attraction in this neighbourhood. Not far from them is the Týnský dvůr (Town court) once the centre of commerce not only of the town of Prague, but in the middle ages of the whole of central Europe. The court is picturesque up to this day, being adorned by renaissance-loggias, sgrafitti and large frescoes dating from the times of Ferdinand I. Close to it is an original crossing of streets, converging from all sides round the court, and their interesting mediaeval plan and character is now unique in Europe. The famous church of the Virgin Mary at the back of the Týn is remarkable not only for its architecture, but also for its historical associations with the