Not far from the famous Prague Orloj there is another equally interesting city landmark. This is the so-called “House at the Minute,” bearing this name most likely because tobacco and all sorts of small items used to be sold here, which were popularly referred to by the word “minuciozni.”
It is simply impossible to walk past this building without noticing it - it is as if the entire facade were covered in fine, elegant tracery. Interestingly, this house was originally built in the Gothic style at the beginning of the 15th century. A century later, it was reconstructed in the spirit of the Renaissance. That was when it acquired its unique painted decoration, which was hidden during the Baroque-style reconstruction, but after the restoration of 1919 it once again opened before the eyes of the townspeople.
The technique in which this decoration was made is called “sgraffito,” which in translation means “scratching.” It is created in quite an ingenious way: 2 layers of differently colored plaster are applied to the building facade, and on the second, wetter layer, an original design is made with a special tool, while the excess is removed, thereby revealing the lower layer.
On the walls of the House “At the Minute” there are numerous images of historical figures, scenes with mythological and biblical themes, as well as allegorical figures representing human virtues.
