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Široká No. 49

Široká No. 49, overview, foto: Lubor Mrázek Location:
Široká No. 49

Description of the Building:
A one-storey mainly late Gothic house with exceptionally well-preserved Rennaissance reconstructions and with a richly decorated facade.

Architectural and Historical Development:
The house ranks among the oldest inhabitable buildings on this street. The core of the house is late Gothic and underwent some important reconstructions in the Rennaissance period and in the third quarter of the 17th century. During one of those reconstructions the size of the building was changed - some remains of two small walled-up windows give evidence that the building used to be higher than corresponds with the present condition. Setting of Rococo pictures (with natural figural scenes) just below today´s larger windows on the first floor provide evidence that the windows were broken through at the same time that the pictures were painted. The layout of the house, created by Rennaissance reconstructions, was slightly modified by Classical renovations. The originally higher hall on the ground floor was changed by setting a new staircase. The vaulting of the front cellar and a renovation of the front wall were probably done at the same time. Baroque reconstructions probably concerned only the front. The layout of the division walls on the first floor is up-to-date.

Significant Architectural Features:
The building is of great art value as a whole as well as for its exceptionally well-preserved Rennaissance sections on the ground floor. The house has a richly decorated facade with clear traces of various different reconstructions. Three left ground floor windows are stressed by a sgraffito stripe of a sea wave with red sketches. A part of the mural with Madonna, dated from 1664, probably relates to the time of reconstruction when the windows had yellow frames and the edges of the front were skirted with yellow boss. In the interior the ground floor staircase hall, the narrow space along the right hand side and originally a homogenous room with a Rennaissance girder with a carved plait, later divided into two parts, are worth mentioning.

Široká no. 48, frescos on the facade, foto: Lubor Mrázek Široká no. 48, frescos on the facade, foto: Lubor Mrázek

History of the House Residents:
The house belongs among the oldest inhabitable buildings on the eastern side of present Široká street. Mr and Mrs Khelb can be found in the town register as first known owners of the house. A quick changing of owners who ran different trades was typical for this house. Among the first owners who changed in the house during the 16th century, according to archival resources, were for example a shoemaker Kunc, a tailor Wolf or Welfl, a tailor Mikuláš and a butcher Tomandl Hörizer. In the years 1601 - 1623 the house belonged to a shoemaker Štefan Prübis and from 1636 until at least 1654 it belonged to a maltster Pavel Straninger. In 1663 a royal silver smelter Kryštof Pummeritz or Pumrich moved there. From 1721 to 1744 a tailor Jan Wolfgang Pichler lived in the house. In the second half of the 18th century and in the 19th century the owners changed fairly quickly and we do not know any further details about them apart from their names.

Široká no. 48, frescos on the facade, foto: Lubor Mrázek

Stories And Other Interesting Information:
It is said that strange sounds are sometimes heard from the loft as if somebody were moving furniture. It is connected with an unfortunate accident which took place in the house. Once, the landlord decided to rent out a chamber in the attic. He made an agreement with a tenant, and the rent was even paid in advance. The tenant, considered to be an odd man, liked spending his free time in a pub playing cards. He quickly spent all his money and ran into financial difficulties, and soon didn't have enough money for the upcoming rent. After several appeals the landlord decided to evict the tenant. But the tenant had had a copy of the key made, and decided that he wanted to get into his former flat. He succeeded, but then realized that the chamber was empty and the furniture had been moved to the loft. He got there as well. But as he was trying to prepare his bed for sleeping, he fell down drunk, broke his head, and died. Since then sounds of moving furniture have been heard. People who have lived in the house have even said that they heard the fall of the unlucky man.

Present Use:
Hotel Straninger and its restaurant.