The square, in the Middle Ages hemmed in by the modest homes of the inhabitants of Hradčany (the Castle District), is a large cobbled esplanade behind the castle's western gates. Visitors come here in particular for the changing of the guard. The Plague Column, a late work by Brokoff, stands against a backdrop of greenery. The north side of the square is lined by the former lodgings of the cathedral's canons, the south side by a convent that encompasses St Benedict's Church.