Lviv Tour of Rynok Square penned by Veronika in 2014 for In Lviv Tours

Touring Lviv Rynok Square by Veronica

When stone is an art form

 
It's not a big deal to notice Lviv Town Hall on Rynok Square when you try to discover city architecture. No doubts, it's a masterpiece of European art, but once you have a walk in the centre of Lviv the tendency is to be as attentive as you can. Have you noticed that there are no numbers on the buildings? Every house on Rynok Square had to have name of owner or elements of décor indication on it; some buildings are named "with a lion" or "with any tree", because these elements were painted on the owner family emblem or it was a family mascot. There is another interesting fact about Rynok Square architecture: clergy and noblemen had permission to build houses higher that 3 floor with 3 windows or more. This has had the unique imprint on the way Rynok Square looks nowadays, so keep your eyes opened and be inspired. We present you three building in the centre of Lviv that you must see.

 Black House is situated on the east side of the Square. It was ordered to be built by Tomaso Albertti, who was a famous Bologna merchant and a philanthropist. Now it looks very mystique because of the black color of the façade. There are hypothesis, that many years of heating the house with coal made snow-white sandstone black. Here, in this masterpiece of Renaissance architecture on the ground floor was placed first pharmacy in Lviv, but now it belongs to Lviv Historical Museum and a lot of exhibitions take place right here.

 Stone house "with a deer" or House №45 is another "must-see" place. It was built in XV century and it is a perfect example of Gothic and Empire style. The only candle and wax products factory in the entire Galicia had been taking place here since 1789; in 1851 it was bound to provide Lviv with candles to light the streets. In Soviet Union time there was a restaurant for poets and artist.

 Lubomirski Palace is one of the most important places in Ukrainian history, because the country's independence has been started in this great Baroque house. In 1941 it was proclaimed by Yaroslav Stetsko. Jan De Witte was an architect of this building, also famous for Dominican church in Lviv and Carmelite church in Berdichiv. As far as this place has its long unique history (including being residence of Austrian governors and belonging to Prosvita) now it is owned by Ethnography and Native Arts Museum. You can also recognize it by the smell of coffee, because famous Lviv Coffee Manufacture is placed in the Palace now. Perhaps a perfect place to drink a toast to Ukraine while on a tour of Lviv with In Lviv Tours.