Kájovská No. 54

Location:
Kájovská No. 54

Description of the Building:
Two story corner house with painted Renaissance frontage belongs among the most interesting monuments of the historic centre of Český Krumlov. It is basically a late Gothic building which underwent a general reconstruction in Renaissance style in the third quarter of the 16th century. There are noteworthy richly painted facades with decorated and figurative motives. Both frontages are expressive in the town interior.

Architectural and Historical Development:
The house core has its origin in the 14th century. It seems that there were two smaller buildings at the place where the current house stands. Around 1580 there was a profound Renaissance reconstruction. A brief description has been preserved from 1600. It describes four rooms, four chambers, four vaulted rooms (probably in the groundfloor), two cellars, two stables for nine horses and a malt house with a brewery. The malt house and brewery were probably situated in what is today house No. 53, which belonged to the house No. 54. The house part by Široká street was was raised with an upper floor probably in the 17th century. A relatively important reconstruction dates back to 1800-1802, when the floors and interior were adapted. Documentation describing these adaptations has been preserved up to now. Renaissance wallpaintings were discovered in 1952 and then restored by Vladimír Terš.

Significant Architectural Features:
The whole house is valuabledue to the fact that it illustrates the complicated development of an eastern part of Široká street and the area Na louži (on the puddle). It is extremely remarkable also for its details. Very valuable Renaissance wallpaintings are the products of craftsmen working for Wilhelm von Rosenberg in the Český Krumlov State Castle and Chateau. There is a remarkable western frontage with painted figures looking out of the windows. Also significant are Gothic vertical constructions and Gothic fragments on the level of cellars and ground floor. One of the most significant monuments of Gothic architecture in town is the entrance space to the cellar on the left from the entrance leading to the yeard, with a stone vaults and small Gothic window called "with the nun". On the first floor, there is a remarkable Renaissance square space with crossed vaults and strong ctenoids on its sides The room is situated above the place in the groundfloor which belongs to adjacent building No. 53. There are also interesting shop windows in the groundfloor part of frontage with oval stucco window decorations.

History of the House Residents:
Although the original building which used to stand here before a grand-scale reconstruction was considerably older, the first mention of its residents dates from the beginning of the 16th century. In that time the house was a property of maltster Mikuláš. He was replaced by his son Tomáš, also a maltster, who stayed here from the 1540\'s ti 1560\'s. Tomáš, called Tomandl Na louži was a town councillor in the 1530\'s and 40\'s. After Tomandl´s death his son Filip Nuss, a Rosenberg officer, lived in the house and after his death widowed Voršila married Florián Ronner who overtook the house. The house was already considered to be something extraordinary at that time, and the price proves it. For example in 1640 Hans Taupergar sold "Ronner ´s house" with all the stables and brewery to Stefan Reichart for very expensive price of 1000 threescores of groschen. Also at the beginning of the 19th century the house was valuable. Between 1801 and 1802 its price increased from 2,263 to 4,000 golden coins. The house was a property of town manager and tradesman Simon Stifter in that time. In the 18th century the house was probably a seat of soap boiler craft, but in the 19th century a brewery was mentioned here. Another significant year 1756 reminds us of the house separation as a detached building with current houe No. 53. From the 1540\'s a Rosenberg regent Jakub Krčín z Jelčan is supposed to be the owner of the building. This theory is mentioned in all the historic and tourist books, but in fact the the house has nothing common with Jakub Krčín.

Present Use:
There is a restaurant "Fisherman\'s bastion" in the groundfloor and its saloon.