meštiansky dom Burgher house

The townhouse in Banská Štiavnica is a terraced building from the late Gothic period, which dates back to the 1990s. This monument represents medieval urban housing adapted to the difficult terrain of the mining town.

During the Middle Ages, urban houses were mostly wooden and typologically close to folk architecture. Masonry buildings appeared at one time, especially with more solvent owners. The form of houses was influenced by the material used, the method of heating, the financial opportunities of the owner and the needs of defense.

Among the medieval types of houses were a tower house, which represented a block multi-storey building situated in the street line or square with a high stone wall. These houses together formed a defense system.

The house with passage was the long-term most common layout type. A simpler variant was a house with height, which had a reduced attic for storing grain and wet sensitive goods.

A special feature of houses in Banská Štiavnica is their situation in the steep terrain configuration. Constructions by St. Trinity Square are three- to four-storey, while the last floor serves as the ground floor in the back alley.

In the 17th and 18th centuries the nobility rebuilt purchased plots for representative city palaces. In the 19th century, with an increase in population, rental houses and pavilion houses were created.

An example of later development is the town house on the street Andrej Kmeťa 5, which represents the period of late Renaissance and Baroque. It is a corner object in micronámestie, which fixes the original communication route.

In the 19th and 20th centuries the original objects were modernized mainly in the parter, where the sales use for advertising was directed. The housing function has been preserved in burgher houses to this day.

These buildings testify to the historical development of urbanism and the social structure of the mining town. Their visit allows you to know the architectural layering from Gothic to 20th century.