One of the largest squares in Brno, made up of several partsThis square, sometimes called Moravák, encompasses both the area in front of Jan Křtitel Erna’s Baroque Kostel sv. Tomáše (Church of St Thomas) and a park.
These two parts are divided by a busy road with tram rails. The area in front of the church, with an adjacent Augustinian monastery called Místodržitelský palác (the Governor’s Palace) that currently houses Moravská galerie v Brně (the Moravian Gallery in Brno), features several interesting installations. The latest, and perhaps the most controversial, addition to the square is an eight-metre equestrian statue of Jobst of Luxembourg by sculptor Jaroslav Róna. Also called Courage, the statue offers a surprising and humorous view when standing under the horse’s belly. The statue of Justice by Marius Kotrba in front of the Supreme Administrative Court draws a lot of attention, too. It is a part of a concept based on the four cardinal virtues by Plato which also features an oblong fountain standing for Temperance and a bronze model of medieval Brno symbolising Prudence.
The park also consists of two parts, again separated by a road. The smaller eastern part is dominated by a monumental memorial to the victory of the Red Army over fascism by Vincenc Makovský. The bigger part: from the end of the 19th century till the end of World War II, a building called the German House was located there. After the war, the square was transformed and a pentagonal fountain was built in its centre. Its tips were originally made of red asphalt, which was supposed to look like a star from a bird’s-eye view
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