Dům U Rotta

Picturesque corners of the historical center of Prague

The house was built over a medieval building by gradual reconstructions, especially Renaissance and Classicist. It got its present form in the years 1896-97 according to the plans of F. Kindle. The Neo-Renaissance facade is painted according to the cartons of Mikoláš Alš. In the basements, the remains of a Romanesque house and Gothic cellars are especially valuable. The decoration of the facade is valuable. The house first appears in the sources in 1401. According to an engraving from 1742, the house had a Renaissance appearance - on the ground floor with sgraffito rustication and figural sgraffito, it acquired a classicist appearance between 1769-93. The house was then several times thoroughly renovated in 1841, 1895 and 1922. In the 90s of the 20th century, it was renovated for the needs of the hotel. The house was built over a medieval building by gradual reconstruction, especially Renaissance and Classicist. It´s present form was given between years 1896-97 according to the plans of F. Kindl. The Neo-Renaissance façade is painted according to the cartons of Mikoláš Alše. In the basements the remains of the Romanesque house and the Gothic cellars are of great value. The decoration of the facade is of great value too. The house is mentioned for the first time in 1401. According to the engraving from 1742, the house was renaissance - on the ground floor with sgraffito rustic and figural sgraffiti, the classicist form took place between 1769-93. The house was then redeveloped several times in 1841, 1895 and 1922. In the 1990s it underwent reconstruction for the needs of the hotel.

Rott's house was first discovered in the sources in 1401 and according to the 1742 engraving, the house was renaissance - on the ground floor with sgraffito rustic and figurative sgraffiti, the classicist form took place between 1769-93. Painting on the façade according to Mikoláš Alše's cartons is the work of J. Novák and A. Hofbauer. Between the windows are painted figures symbolizing crafts and displaying costumes: at the level of the 1st floor it is a carpenter with a pontoon and a tripod on a viper, the inscription tape is a dated and a woman in a costume with a red hat resting on the rake. On the 2nd floor there is a spinner and a blacksmith, above the windows there is a cartouche with the inscription: Do not perish us and the future St. Wenceslas, a cartouche guarding two blue birds. Among the windows of the last floor is a man in a costume with a scarf over his shoulder and a woman in a costume standing with a sickle in the field. In the corners of the cornice there are coats of arms, carrying various tools of metal.

Rott House (Dům U Rotta). AddressMalé nám. 142/3, Praha, Czech Republic. Over its very long history, this beautiful and unusual house, painted with graceful ornaments of roses, has changed more than one name. The first building on the site of the Rott house was built in the 13th century. This is evidenced by the unique preserved two-story cellars of the Romanesque era and the masonry of that time. In 1488, it entered the history of Czech printing forever - the Czech Bible was published here for the first time. The fact is that in those distant times, the Pytlik printing house was located here. This Bible still exists today and is kept in the library of Franciscan monks. The building is richly decorated with paintings dominated by floral ornaments. In the 16th-18th centuries, the building attracted attention with its beautiful Renaissance façade painted in the sgraffito technique. On the walls of the house were depicted battles, heroes of ancient myths and symbols of the four elements. It is possible to judge the appearance of the house thanks to old engravings. This building can be seen on the sheets depicting the coronation procession of Maria Theresa in 1743. Throughout its long history, the house has had different names. This was often associated with a change of ownership. Prague knew this house under the names "Pitlikovsky", "At the Wolf", "At Three Sheaves" and others. When a house sign with three white roses adorned the building, the house was called “At Three White Roses” or “At Three Sisters”. The fact is that three sisters became the owners of the house. As young girls, they inherited this house from their father. There are many legends about the sisters. They say that the girls were very arrogant and did not get along with each other. Each of them lived on a separate floor and, avoiding meetings, they went to their apartments on separate stairs. However, all three sisters dreamed of a successful marriage. They chose their future husbands for a long time and finicky. Each dreamed of an overseas rich groom. Their wishes seemed to be fulfilled when all three in turn got married and left for foreign lands. But later it turned out that the same adventurer posed as the rich groom of all three girls. He took advantage of the attitude of the sisters to each other and, pocketing their wealth, left them in poverty in a foreign land. In 1855, the house was purchased by Vincent Joseph Rott and his wife Maria. They sold products brought from Nuremberg. The Rotts took over their own ironmongery across the street. Since then, the house has been called "At Rott's". Things were going well, and in 1891 the family bought a neighboring house. The goal was to combine the two buildings into one structure. So the house took on its current appearance. The three-storey buildings were rebuilt by the architect Rechsigel. Decorative arches with turrets on the roof and other architectural elements characterize the building's style as neo-Renaissance. The façade is richly decorated with frescoes based on cardboard by Mikolash Alyosha. The owner of the company, Ladislav, son of the Rotts, invited the artists Ernest Hofbauer and Ladislav Novak to paint this painting. It is allegorically associated with the hardware items sold on the first floor of the building. The floors are separated by the inscription “V. J. Rott "and a prayer that reads" Do not let us or our descendants perish, Saint Wenceslas. " In the 1920s, the Rott House underwent a large-scale reconstruction of the interior: a trade courtyard stood out, a glazed hall, unique for that time, appeared in three tiers. Interestingly, this dome was one of the first in Prague to use the latest glass and concrete construction technology. The house now houses the popular Hard Rock Cafe and restaurant. The cafe is located in several rooms, including a glazed hall. A wine restaurant is located in the basement with the remains of the Romanesque masonry of the first buildings.