Písek Gate

The name has nothing in common with town of Písek in Southern Bohemia but it derives from previous medieval gate which used to stand several hundred steps away, at Písek, a defunct suburb of Lesser Quarter (located approximately around what is now Valdštejnská Street). This suburb together with old gate was demolished in 1620s in order to make space for then newly built Wallenstein Palace. The alternative name derives from the Brusnice (Bruska) stream, a tiny tributary of the Vltava River running along northern side of Prague Castle.

The gate was situated between bastions of St George and St Ludmilla. It was built as one of latest parts of Baroque fortification in 1721 by architect Giovanni Battista Alliprandi after design by František Vogot. Písek Gate serving northbound traffic was one of three city gates in the left bank part of Prague (the other were westbound Imperial Gate () located in what is now Dlabačov Street and southbound Újezd Gate () in Újezd Street). During War of the Austrian Succession in 1741 understaffed and weakly defended Písek Gate was the site where troops of Charles Albert, Elector of Bavaria and claimant to the throne of Bohemia, entered Prague. After Austro-Prussian War of 1866 it was decided that fortified cities were no more necesarry and the fortification ring of Prague started to be gradually dismantled. The Marian Walls survived until turn of 20th century when only fractions including Písek Gate were left. Thanks to new road bypassing it, the gate was no longer considered an obstacle for growing traffic and remained standing. In 2000 - 2002 Písek Gate underwent restoration and was turned into café and gallery; also wedding ceremonies are held there.

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Category:Gates Category:Buildings and structures in Prague