What's in a Prague street name

Originally published on X on 27 May 2024.

When I first drafted my post about Týn / Ungelt (https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2024/10/12/prague-1-day-189-tynska/), I didn’t realise that the courtyard is also treated as its own street, and therefore has its own street sign.

So it was quite nice to pop in and get some proper pictures of Týn, too. Especially of Palác Granovských z Granova / Granovský Palace.

In 1558, Jakub Granovský z Granova, who was responsible for running the Ungelt, obtained a plot of land from Ferdinand I on one condition: he would oversee the opening and closing of the Ungelt’s gates.

He promptly set to reconstruction of the Ungelt House – which had stood here for centuries – giving it a Renaissance makeover, with excellent sgraffiti showing Biblical and mythological scenes.

It belonged to the Granovský family until 1620 (strong intimation: they weren’t Catholics), and later owners divided the palace in two. From 1713, it was used as a mortuary.

During communism, one floor was used as warehouse space, whereas another was used for teaching purposes. Now owned by the Archbishopric of Prague, it’s part office space, part restaurant.

In front of the palace, there’s a statue called Den a Noc (Night and Day), a copy of a work from 1911 by Jan Štursa (1880-1925).

Here are some other pics of Týn, for the sake of completeness. Not quite a hidden gem, but also not quite as packed with people as the places which surrounds it.