home03.jpgMichalská street was called „Behind St. Michael“ in medieval times. In 18th century it was named “Melon street“ after the Golden Melon House. Old documents about the house from 1401 prove that originaly there were two separate houses up to 1760. The history of both houses goes to 13th century.

On the northern side there stood „The Golden Melon“ House. There were preserved two gothic cellars with cloisters and gothic rooms on the ground floor from about 1320. This house was palatially rebuilted during late gothic into a palace andwas extended in south direction. In the courtyard facade there were discovered and restored fragments of window falnnings and gothic arch on the first floor level. There also survived stone gothic gables.

Renaissance renovation in the first half of 16th century created present four-wing lay-out by building two-floor wing with arched stables on the ground floor in the eastern part of the house. There were ditched new renesance cellars under the southern wing of the house.

On the southern side there stood a house called „At Christopher“. It is originally early gothic with Romanic lay-out and later it was joined with southern partwith semicular vault cellars and a staircase which was ended with a small gothic portal. This house survived up to the first floor. We can see it in thestone northern gable which is lower than „The Melon“ house gable, we can also see uncovered gothic portal to the court and fragments of gothic cross vaults in two rooms on the ground floor. The house underwent renesance and baroque reconstruction.

After 1760 earl Chotek unified both houses as far as the building form is concerned. The palace was provided with late baroque portal and prestigious staircase and hall. In 19th century two halls of the northern building were decorated with ceiling neo-renaissance paintings and wooden door flanning with ornamentals.

In 1706 Jan Nepomuk Rudolf earl Chotek bought the house and his son Karel earl Chotek bought in 1760 also adjacent house. He joined both houses by a late baroque monumental staircase that was built in. He raised the southern house up to 2nd floor and both houses provided with integrated plain facade. (Earl Karel Chotekwas very useful for Prague. He built the first Prague quay, also Chotek street leading from Prague Castle to Klarov, he built the chain bridge across the Vltava river from what is today Národní třída, etc.) By this grandiose conversion the house gained a leadership among the other houses and named the whole street for certain time. Later the palace was used only for temporary housing and the owners started to let it.

Since 1928 there was a famous Linka Dance School which was visited by many prominent poets, writers and other persons of cultural life of that time. In 19th century it became one of the centers of so called „Czech revival“ in Prague.  Later there were flats, shops and also stocks in the house. Around 1860 a new owner built up a piano rental  so some famous pianists and composers played here, like Anton Rubinstein, Hans von Bülow, Petr Iljich Tchaikovski, Otakar Sevcik, Sergej Rachmaninov, Edvard Grieg and others.

The monument preservation of the palace was taken in 1977 – 1982. Under the Art Noveau ceilings were in five rooms  discovered Reneissance painted wooden ceilings from 16th century and celiling plaster paintings from the 18th century. On the ground floor there were opened display facilities, now there is an art galery.

In a picturesque courtyard there is a small fountain with a motif of a melon. There are placed two unique retouched sandstone capitals from Denis railway station which, regrettably, was pulled down in 80´s of 20th century.

The mainhouse sign, The Golden Melon, is hanging on the davit holding up the balcony in Michalská street.

Nowadays „The Golden Melon House“ offers many various office rooms starting with a common standard and ending with a very luxurious representative rooms. There is also possible a short term rent of some rooms.