České Budějovice
the budweiser of Europe
The nice little city is as so many other known or its beer. The huge city square is surrounded by baroque buildings and is one of the largest in Europe
České Budějovice Town Hall
The first record of the town hall dates back to 1387. After 1433, the town hall was relocated to today’s Přemysl Otakar II Square into the Knoll and Terczenbuchov Houses, which were joined together during the construction work and rebuilt several times in the course of the 15th and 16th centuries. In the 17th century, the town hall was damaged by fires, therefore a decision was made on its Baroque reconstruction based on the plans of Italian architect Antonio Edhard Martinelli in the years 1727 – 1730. The Baroque reconstruction gave the town hall its present face. The extensive façade bears the city’s coat of arm under the central window, surrounded by the county coats of arms of Moravia, Bohemia and Silesia. The four allegoric statues located on the attic depict the bourgeois virtues of Justice, Courage, Wisdom and Caution. It is impossible to overlook the copper, dragon-shaped gargoyles on the facade. A “Viennese elbow” is cemented into the left corner, measuring 0.77 m, which used to serve as a control measure. The façade of the town hall bears a memorial plaque from the year 1935, which recalls the visit by T. G. Masaryk in 1918 following his return from exile. In 1995, within the framework of the 730th anniversary celebrations of the city’s foundation, chimes were installed in the central tower which can play 41 melodies that can be variously combined. The most recent extensive reconstruction of the town hall was performed in the years 1997 – 2000, when the new council wing was built. The town hall courtyard was opened to the public, and there you can see the status of August Zátka, an important politician, businessman and patriot. In summer, various cultural events for adults and children alike are organised in the courtyard.
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Square of Přemysl Otakar II
The natural starting point of our sightseeing tour of České Budějovice is the Square of Přemysl Otakar II. It is said to have the shape of a perfect square, but it is not really true - one side is 132 metres and the other one approximately 137 metres. The square was marked out soon after the town was established and it served especially as a place for holding markets, various fairs and of course executions. We are reminded of the execution ground by the so-called erratic boulder situated near the centre of the square. It is all that‘s left of the original stone paving, cobbles. In 1939 the cobbles were replaced with ceramic paving that has covered the square to today.
In the very centre of the square you can find another important symbol of České Budějovice - Samson‘s Fountain. This magnificent Baroque work was built in the period from 1721 to 1727. It is formed by a stone basin with a diameter of 17 metres. The fountain is decorated with four gargoyles and with four statues of atlantes holding a large stone shell. A pedestal rises out of the shell with a sculpture of Samson fighting a lion. During restoration works in 1999 the fountain was equipped with colour lighting and all the statues were replaced with copies. The originals are kept inside the town hall. Samson‘s Fountain is connected to the art of sculptor Josef Dietrich (1677-1753) and to the stonemason master Zachariáš Horn. The man behind it must also be mentioned: Franz Baugut. He employed his urban designs regarding the position, dimensions and probably also the topic of the fountain. And it was Baugut who initiated construction of the town waterworks from which the fountain was fed. Today the social position of this well-educated man is surprising. Baugut was a Jesuit of Jindřichův Hradec. |