The Artus Court in Gdańsk was erected on the Town Hall Square in 1350. It was the residence of the most honoured citizens of the city - merchants, artisans, members of the members of fraternities, members of patrician families. The business and social life of the whole city the business and social life of the whole city, protected by sculptures of lions holding the coat of arms in their paws. The building was decorated with a statue of Mercury, the patron saint of the merchant class, and figures symbolizing Strength, Justice and Fortune.
The building was damaged in a fire in 1476, the Court was rebuilt in 1477 in the Gothic style, as it now stands. Abraham van der Bloke rebuilt the facade, and images of kings appeared on the medallions of the portal in the Mannerist style. Georg Stelzner decorated the interior of the house with a 12 metre high tiled cooker (the largest in the world), lined and painted with images of coats of arms, planets, mythical characters and kings of Europe by Master Jost. The respectable interior of the Court of Artus is also richly decorated with paintings, models of sailing ships, armour of knights, various ornaments. In 1742 the palace became a stock exchange. In March 1945, the palace was destroyed, but was rebuilt in the post-war years, and is still is still the site of the city's grand ceremonies.
In front of Artus's Court since 1633 is the symbol of Gdańsk - the Fountain of Neptune, installed on the initiative of the then mayor Bartholomew Schachmann. The fountain was designed by Abraham van der Bloecke and made by Johan Rogge and Peter Goosen from Augsburg. The athletic figure of the symbolic god emphasises the city's connection with the sea. A year later it was surrounded by a magnificent fence. In 1761 the bowl and plinth of the fountain were modified by Johann Carl Ständer to include a variety of sea creatures and monsters. According to legend, Neptune was angry at the fact that the fountain for throwing coins into the fountain for good luck. He struck the water with his trident, shattering the gold coins into thin threads. These are the threads that shine in the famous Gdańsk nalewka and herbal infusion. herbal infusion.
