Before you is one of the oldest buildings in Prague, built as early as the 13th century. Its Gothic facade is a masterpiece of this architectural style, despite the various changes in its exterior decoration and several reconstructions that the house underwent over its centuries-long history.
For a long time it was believed that this building had been built specifically for the royal family; however, there is no official evidence of this. One of the few arguments in favor of this thesis is the thousands of stone fragments found in the palace; after assembling them, restorer Jiří Blažej discerned the figures of four people, in whom one can see members of the royal family headed by Elizabeth of Bohemia I. According to some sources, Charles IV also lived here, but this is also quite difficult to prove.
The name “At the Stone Bell” has been associated with this house since the beginning of the 14th century, when a bell fell from the Church of Our Lady before Týn, which was later placed on this building in a smaller version. However, this too is just one of the city's legends.
Since 1988, House “At the Stone Bell” has housed a gallery of contemporary art.
