Rampant lion with forked or double tail, royal arms of Bohemia since the mid-1200s. Fresco on Renaissance façade of Sitr House, a burgher property in Velké námestí, the Great Square in Prachatice, South Bohemia, Czechia / Czech Republic.
Prachatice, South Bohemia, Czechia / Czech Republic: this double-tailed lion, the royal arms of Bohemia since the mid-13th century, is among wall paintings or frescoes on the Renaissance façade of Sitr House, the burgher property at Velké námestí 13, in the town’s Great Square. The original Gothic house here was remodelled in Renaissance style in 1604, with its upper façade decorated with portraits of the Bohemian kings. Since 1954, Sitr House has been home to the Prachatice municipal museum. Prachatice, founded in the 13th century, gained hugely from its location at the end of the Golden Path or Trail trade route from Passau in Bavaria, along which passed large quantities of salt, spices, fabrics, tropical fruit and other goods. As Prachatice enjoyed the right to levy taxes on travelling merchants - and to split half of the revenue with the church - it quickly became one of the wealthiest settlements in Bohemia. In 1382, King Václav IV granted Prachatice the right to store salt, an essential substance in the medieval period as the only means of preserving food. This was a lucrative monopoly, as other Bohemian towns had nowhere else to buy their salt. As Prachatice’s economic importance grew, a massive defensive wall was built around its centre. Today it retains many ancient and historic buildings, especially around the Great Square. These include the richly decorated Old Town Hall, built in 1570-1 and regarded as one of the most important Renaissance buildings in Bohemia. There are also several decorated late Gothic (1400s) and Renaissance (1500s) burgher houses.
Size: 3008px × 2000px
Location: Great Square, Prachatice, South Bohemia, Czechia / Czech Republic.
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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