Town Hall - Utery, Czech Republic - Renaissance Architecture on Waymarking.com

Úterý is a beautiful community with many valuable historical monuments. These include Baroque churches of Nativity of St. John the Baptist and of St. Wenceslas, the square with burgher houses and the Renaissance town hall. Visitors are also attracted by scenic beauties of the picturesque valley of the Úterský potok Stream. The area of the present town of Úterý has been inhabited since the Middle Bronze Age, some 3500 years ago. Archeological survey at the nearby village of Šipín revealed burial mounds and a Celtic fortification (oppidum), which was later settled by the Slavs. A legend says that the community was founded by miners: one of them got lost in the ambient forests until, tired, he finally fell asleep. In his dreams, he saw a gold placer. He woke up and saw a raven holding a golden ring in his beak. The miner followed him up to a site where the raven dropped the ring. This was the site where the miner found gold-bearing sediments. Mining activities in the Úterý area commenced in the late 11th century. The town (Tuesday in English) was named after the day on which markets were held starting from the 13th century. Its German name was Neumarkt (new market in English) and its Latin name was Novum forum. Mining for gold began to decline in the late 13th century. The community, however, benefited from its favourable position near the old trading route from the German town of Würzburg to Prague across Cheb, Teplá and Manetín. A fork of this route was connecting Teplá and Plzen across Úterý. The town was purchased by the Premonstratensian Monastery in 1233 and its further history was connected with the Teplá Monastery until 1848. The town and its mint were destroyed by a flood in 1582 and fell to plundering during the Thirty Years War (1618–1648). The town was re-built after a fire at the end of the 17th century but retained its Medieval character. Houses lining the square preserved their Gothic cores, adapted in Renaissance or Baroque styles. Also located on the square, the noteworthy Renaissance town hall of 1561 preserved its Renaissance passage to the yard and its rectangular windows with window sills. The square boasts with a trihedral Marian column of 1731. The column supports a statue of Madonna, which was brought in from the town of Cheb. Corners of the trihedral base bear the rustic statues of St. Sebastian, St. Adalbert and St. Florian produced by local stonemasons. A stone fountain from the early 19th century has been preserved south of the column.

Date of origin:: 1561 Style: High Renaissance (ca. 1500–1550) Web site of the object (if exists): [Web Link] Type of building (structure): Town-house Address: Úterý Czech Republic Architect(s): Not listed

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