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| Písek Gate | |
|---|---|
Písecká brána(in Czech) | |
 Outer side of the gate with decoration advertising military strength of the Habsburg monarchy | |
 | |
| Alternative names | Bruska Gate |
| General information | |
| Type | city gate |
| Architectural style | Baroque |
| Location | Prague-Hradčany,Czech Republic |
| Coordinates | 50°05′42″N14°24′20″E / 50.09500°N 14.40556°E /50.09500; 14.40556 |
| Completed | 1721 |
Písek Gate (Czech:Písecká brána), also calledBruska Gate (Czech:Bruská brána) is a formercity gate ofBaroquefortification ofPrague,Czech Republic. Once belonging to the fortification section called Marian Walls (Czech:Mariánské hradby) it is located inK Brusce Street in theHradčany neighbourhood, not far fromHradčanská metro station. Other sights in the vicinity includeRoyal Summer Palace orVilla Bílek. Nowadays Písek Gate is the only preserved gate of the city proper and one of four remaining of the whole fortification system (Tábor, Leopold and Chotek (Brick) gates are part ofVyšehrad Fortress).
The name has nothing in common with town ofPísek inSouthern Bohemia but it derives from a previous medieval gate which used to stand several hundred steps away, at Písek, a defunct suburb ofLesser Quarter (located approximately whereValdštejnská Street is today). This suburb together with the old gate was demolished in the 1620s in order to make space for then newly builtWallenstein Palace. The alternative name derives from theBrusnice (Bruska) stream, a tiny tributary of theVltava River running along northern side ofPrague Castle.
The gate was situated betweenbastions ofSt George andSt Ludmilla. It was built as one of latest parts of Baroque fortification in 1721 by architectGiovanni Battista Alliprandi after a design by František Vogot. Písek Gate serving northbound traffic was one of three city gates in the left bank part of Prague (the other were westbound Imperial Gate (Czech:Říšská brána) located in what is nowDlabačov Street and southbound Újezd Gate (Czech:Újezdská brána) inÚjezd Street). During theWar of the Austrian Succession in 1741 understaffed and weakly defended Písek Gate was where troops ofCharles Albert,Elector of Bavaria and claimant to the throne ofBohemia, entered Prague. After theAustro-Prussian War of 1866 it was decided that fortified cities were no longer necessary and the fortification ring of Prague started to be gradually dismantled. The Marian Walls survived until the turn of the 20th century when only fractions, including Písek Gate, were left. Thanks to a new road bypassing it, the gate was no longer considered an obstacle for growing traffic and remained standing. In 2000 - 2002 Písek Gate underwent restoration and was turned into acafé andgallery;wedding ceremonies are held there as well.