Stone Bell House

The Stone Bell House (Czech: Dům U Kamenného zvonu) is a medieval edifice situated at number 16 on the Old Town Square in Prague 1, Czech Republic. Positioned on the corner of the square and Týnská street, directly adjacent to the Kinský Palace, the structure is a rare surviving example of Gothic burgher architecture. Its historical and architectural significance is rooted in its 14th century origins and its possible role as a temporary royal residence. Since the late 20th century, the building has served as an exhibition space, currently operated by the Gallery of the City of Prague.

Construction at the site began around the early 14th century, with the first documented reference dating to 1363 when the property belonged to the nobleman Henslin Pesold from Cheb. The house is believed to have been converted into an urban palace and expanded under King John of Bohemia (John of Luxembourg), likely serving as a temporary residence for Elizabeth of Bohemia and John after their move to Prague in 1310. Charles IV may have also resided there upon his arrival in Bohemia while Prague Castle was being renovated. The house changed hands among various nobles, and its property value doubled between 1484 and 1513, indicating major renovations. Under Václav Šlechta from Pomberk in the early 16th century, an eastern wing and Renaissance portal were added, and preserved wall paintings of draperies date to this period. A northern wing was subsequently constructed, enclosing the courtyard. In 1685, the building was completely baroqueized: Gothic elements were removed and used as brick infill, the roof was replaced, the building height reduced, and the corner tower was altered from three to four floors. Further Baroque modifications followed in 1775, adding a gallery on massive brackets in the courtyard and new stucco to the western facade. By the 19th century, the facade was simplified, later receiving Neo-Baroque stucco in the 1890s.

Today, the Stone Bell House functions primarily as a venue for art exhibitions organized by the Gallery of the City of Prague. Additionally, the building's cellar houses a lapidarium and a small permanent exhibition dedicated to the history of the house and its 20th century reconstruction.

While the building does not hold a traditional museum collection, it preserves significant architectural and artistic fragments within its structure. During the 20th century restoration, more than 12,000 original building elements and relief stones were recovered from the brick backing and reused to restore the Gothic facade. Among the reconstructed elements are statues positioned between the early Gothic cross windows, which include a knight and two seated figures, possibly members of the Přemyslid dynasty. Interior restorations also uncovered polychromatic wooden ceilings and painted chapels on the ground and first floors.

The structure consists of a corner tower connected to a southern wing, with later eastern and northern wings enclosing an inner courtyard. A transverse west wing, which once stood at the site of the present Kinský Palace, has not survived. The house is named after a stone bell embedded in the outside corner, a feature documented as the building's namesake by 1417. The bell may commemorate the 1310 arrival of John of Bohemia to Prague. The facades were originally plastered, except for the western facade, which was left completely unplastered, an unusual feature for medieval burgher houses. The original high chiselled shingle roof was replaced during the 1975 to 1988 restoration with a historically inaccurate slate roof finished with a reinforced concrete machicolation. The corner tower was restored to its original two floors, with original Gothic windows reconstructed from found fragments, though the baldachins with gablets between them survived only as torsos. The interior snail staircase with garderobes was also restored, while the inner courtyard retained its Baroque gallery on massive brackets.

The Stone Bell House is located at Old Town Square 16 in Prague 1, Czech Republic, on the corner adjacent to Týnská street and the Kinský Palace. The building is owned by the city of Prague. After the completion of the major restoration in 1987 or 1988, the property was placed under the administration of the Gallery of the City of Prague, which operates it as a public exhibition space for art and historical displays.