Kostel Matky Bozí pred Týnem (Church of Our Lady Before Týn)

Kostel Matky Bozí pred Týnem (Church of Our Lady Before Týn) Review

One of the best examples of Prague Gothic, this church's exterior is in part the work of Peter Parler, an architect responsible for many of Prague's iconic sights (including the Charles Bridge and Chrám svatého Víta, aka St. Vitus's Cathedral). Construction of its twin black-spire towers began later, by King Jirí of Podebrad in 1461, during the heyday of the Hussites. Jirí had a gilded chalice, the symbol of the Hussites, proudly displayed on the front gable between the two towers. Following the defeat of the Czech Protestants by the Catholic Hapsburgs, the chalice was removed and eventually replaced by a Madonna. As a final blow, the chalice was melted down and made into the Madonna's glimmering halo (you can still see it by walking into the center of the square and looking up between the spires). The entrance to the church is through the arcades on Old Town Square, under the house at No. 14.

Much of the interior, including the tall nave, was rebuilt in the baroque style in the 17th century. Some Gothic pieces remain, however: look to the left of the main altar for a beautifully preserved set of early Gothic carvings. The main altar itself was painted by Karel Skréta, a luminary of the Czech baroque.