Clam-Gallas Palace

According to a guide book, this building - the Clam-Gallas Palace - located in the centre of Prague's Old Town, dates back to approximately 1714. The portal of this door, by Matthias Bernard Braun, shows four giant statues of Hercules straining to support the weight of this massive Baroque portal. There are, in fact, two very similar looking portals/doors to this palace and they are about 50m apart.

This particular door is the one which acts as the entrance to the City of Prague's Archives.

The portal is magnificent and the door itself is big and strong, but I must say I am a bit disappointed by the door 'accessories'...the handles and the other ornament are more recent additions. Also, from what I have seen in my door hunting around town, this metal - which is some sort of aluminium mix - seems to be more and more common on doors like this. You may remember seeing them on doors in my earlier posts. I find their design and feel has nothing to do with the rest of the door and that it is a shame that they have found their way to such a nice door.

I happened to be standing in front of the door when someone came and walked in so I was able to get a behind-the-door shot which shows a courtyard with a bit of a garden.

A Few of My Favourite Things...

OK, I know this is not the most exciting of doors, but it does look good, have a certain charm and deserves to be shared with you. I have a whole list of things that make me turn my head when it comes to doors...the top of the list is any Art Nouveau door, followed by natural wood doors, but then the list goes on without any specific order and can even get confusing when favourite features criss-cross each other (e.g. an Art Nouveau door with a fabulous arch).

Well, another favourite feature somewhere on that list is a door with a rounded or unusual shape. But even as I write that, I must admit that I have a certain love of the clean lines of a squared door...hmm..maybe I'm just too spoiled and want to have them all!! For you this is a cause for rejoicing because it means that if I have them all, then you have them all...or will, eventually!!

As you can see, today's door has a rounded shape...voila a criteria that it fulfilled to be shared with you...oh! and it is of a clear wood! I like the stone work around it as well (notice the way it was carved/etched). The wrought-iron work isn't terribly romantic or creative or old (nope, it is new), but since it doesn't take away from the door or it's frame, I won't complain.

Colourful Door Monday

And today's lucky colour is GREEN! I like this little door (we could call it an 'Emily door'!)...notice how high the handle seems to be...so high that it looks like the picture is upside down, but it's not...this is confirmed by the cobblestones at the bottom of the picture! The handle isn't bad either!