Náměstí Republiky, Plzeň

Plzeň as a town appears at the end of the 13th century, the square existing since then.

[citation needed] Around the oblong square regular blocks of houses delimitated by a rectangular network of streets were built.

[citation needed] The buildings in the square are predominantly built in Gothic and Renaissance styles.

Many buildings contain two or three levels of cellars used to preserve food, for wells or as cesspools.

[3] The most important historical landmarks are Church of St. Bartholomew (1295, since 1993 a cathedral), the city hall[4] (the building serves as city hall since 1496) and St. Mary's plague column from 1681 by the Plzeň sculptor Kristian Widman,[5] all in the northern part of the square.