Maltese Square and its surroundings are sometimes called "Prague Vienna", and Miloš Forman chose this place to film his famous "Amadeus". The name of the square comes from the order of the Knights of St. John (Maltese Knights), who were brought to Prague in 1169. In the center of the square stands the figure of John the Baptist, patron of the order - a votive offering for removing the plague (plague) from the city, which harvested here in the early eighteenth in.
The sculpture was commissioned at the factory of the famous representative of the Czech Baroque, Jan Brokoff, and made by his older son Ferdinand Maxmilián. Another important object associated with the presence of the Knights of St. John is the Church of the Virgin Mary under the Chain. The Romanesque temple founded in the 12th century was part of the fortifications of the monastery. In the following centuries, a presbytery and two towers connected by a vestibule were added, the construction of which was never completed. The last reconstruction, which results in today's church building, took place in the 18th century.
The Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic is also located on Maltese Square. It is housed in the baroque Nostica Palace (Nostitz) renovated in 2002, in which Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart himself was to play the harpsichord. This happened during the preparations for the world premiere of "Don Giovanni", which took place in 1787 at the State Theater, also called the Nostica Theater from the name of the founder.
Attractions inside
