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The Mill Colonnade ( cs, Mlýnská kolonáda) is a large
Information Center of the City of Karlovy Vary, Accessed June 9, 2009. The Mill Colonnade was extended in 1893 to include the Rock Spring. The structure was restored in 1982, and stone reliefs portraying historic moments in Karlovy Vary history were added to the orchestra space in 1995-1996. By 1949, the adjacent portion of the Tepla River was bridged over in front of the Mill Colonnade, creating a plaza.
The Mill Colonnade ( cs, Mlýnská kolonáda) is a large colonnade
In classical architecture, a colonnade is a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, or part of a building. Paired or multiple pairs of columns are normally employed in a colonnade which can be straight or curv ...
containing several hot spring
A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a spring produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow bodies of magma (molten rock) or by circ ...
s in the spa town
A spa town is a resort town based on a mineral spa (a developed mineral spring). Patrons visit spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits.
Thomas Guidott set up a medical practice in the English town of Bath in 1668. H ...
of Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary (; german: Karlsbad, formerly also spelled ''Carlsbad'' in English) is a spa town, spa city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 46,000 inhabitants. It lies on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá. ...
, Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
. The structure is one of the traditional symbols of the town.
Design and reception
TheNeo-Renaissance
Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range o ...
structure has a nave
The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
, two aisles and measures long by wide. There are 124 Corinthian columns. Twelve statues representing the twelve months of the year sit above the portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...
. There is a raised orchestra space for the spa orchestra
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
which plays regular, free concerts.
Architect Josef Zítek, who also designed the National Theatre and Rudolfinum in Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
, designed the structure, which was built between 1871-1881. The original design called for a two level colonnade, but a lack of funds restricted it to one level. Construction proceeded very slowly and costs grew higher. The structure was initially reviled by critics and compared to a bed of carrots or a bowling alley; at the time it was finished, many believed it had blemished the center of town.Balneology and Mineral SpringsInformation Center of the City of Karlovy Vary, Accessed June 9, 2009. The Mill Colonnade was extended in 1893 to include the Rock Spring. The structure was restored in 1982, and stone reliefs portraying historic moments in Karlovy Vary history were added to the orchestra space in 1995-1996. By 1949, the adjacent portion of the Tepla River was bridged over in front of the Mill Colonnade, creating a plaza.
Springs
Karlovy Vary has 13 major springs and the Mill Colonnade covers five of them, ranging in temperature and history: * Mill Spring ( cs, Mlýnský pramen), , used for therapeutic purposes since the 16th century, was historically one of the more popular springs, and its waters were at one time sold at stores in the region. The spring was named after an old mill which used to stand in the area. * Rock Spring ( cs, Skalní pramen), , originally rose next to the nearby Tepla River ; in 1845 the spring was diverted to the current location of the Mill Colonnade. * Libuše Spring, , is a merger of four smaller springs, and was originally named the "Spring of Elizabeth's Roses". * Nymph Spring ( cs, Rusalčin pramen), , was known prior to 1945 as the "New Spring" and had its own colonnade before the Mill Colonnade replaced it. * Prince Václav I Spring, , was originally one of the strongest springs in the area in both yield and force, and was used to produce curative salt. A second spring, Prince Václav II Spring, , comes from the same source and flows out several meters in front of the Mill Colonnade. Accessed March 13, 2012.
References
{{coord, 50, 13, 31, N, 12, 52, 55, E, region:CZ_type:landmark_source:kolossus-cswiki, display=title Karlovy Vary Infrastructure completed in 1881 Buildings and structures in the Czech Republic Renaissance Revival architecture in the Czech Republic Colonnades Buildings and structures in the Karlovy Vary Region Tourist attractions in the Karlovy Vary Region 1881 establishments in Austria-Hungary