- Type
- Palace / château
- Origins
- 1555 · 16th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Style
- Renaissance architecture
- Coordinates
- 50.0834°, 14.3263°
History
Archduke Ferdinand of Tyrol, governor of Bohemia and son of Emperor Ferdinand I, began the summer palace in 1555 in the game park his father had laid out on the western edge of Prague. The unusual six-pointed star plan was most likely the archduke's own design, and the building was carried out by Italian masters including Giovanni Maria Aostalli and Giovanni Lucchese. The interiors were decorated with outstanding stucco work on mythological and classical themes. In 1620 the Battle of White Mountain was fought beneath the park walls, and in the 18th century the palace was turned into a gunpowder store. Restored in the mid-20th century, it is now used for exhibitions.
What to see
A long avenue leads through the Hvězda game park, an expanse of woodland and meadows, to the palace. The white building with six sharp points is crowned by a steep roof. Its greatest treasure is the stucco on the ground-floor vaults, with dozens of scenes and figures; the upper floors host exhibitions, and the cellars an exhibition on the Battle of White Mountain.
Wikipedia article Wikidata Q3175128
Popularity: articles about this site in 16 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).