Trčkovský dům, Cultural monument in Old Town Square, Prague, Czech Republic.
Trčkovský dům is a Renaissance residential building on Old Town Square in Prague, distinguished by its decorated facade and geometric forms. The structure stands as part of the continuous row of buildings that frame the historic square and characterize Prague's medieval core.
A Romanesque building stood here around 1300, and the arcade with cross-ribbed vaults dates from after 1330. The first written record from 1363 names Václav Wernher as owner; a Renaissance palace arose in the late 16th century under the Trčka family. A late-Baroque reconstruction followed in 1770, and in 1858 a third floor replaced the tall gables, which were restored in altered form during the 1987 reconstruction.
The house takes its name from a 16th-century relief of a unicorn lamb, which became the emblem of the pharmacy that operated here; in the 19th century it was called the Pharmacy at the White Unicorn. In the early 20th century Berta Fanta hosted a literary salon on the first floor, attended by Franz Kafka, Max Brod, Franz Werfel and Albert Einstein.
The building sits directly on Old Town Square and is easy to reach on foot from the city center. The surrounding area is walkable, with numerous small streets and passages to explore around the square.
The house's name comes from a 16th-century relief of a unicorn lamb, which became the emblem of the pharmacy that operated here; in the early 20th century Max Fanta, its pharmacist, invented the mortar named after him, and Berta Fanta hosted a literary salon visited by Franz Kafka and Albert Einstein.
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