The Queen Anne's Summer Palace is located in the Royal Garden near Prague Castle. This building, often called the Belvedere by locals, is considered one of the best examples of Renaissance architecture in the Czech Republic. The Summer Palace was founded in 1538 on the initiative of Ferdinand I of Habsburg. The emperor wanted to present it to his wife Anna Jagiellonian. Researchers suggest that the castle was not intended for the private life of the Empress, but for various events.
The construction of the palace was entrusted to two architects from Italy. Paolo della Stella was responsible for the project, and Giovanni Spazio supervised the construction work. Later, Master Spazio was replaced by John Mario de Pambio. In 1541, due to a large fire in Prague, construction was suspended. It was restored only six years later. The palace was completed in 1563, after the death of Paolo della Stella.
Architects Hans Tyrol and Boniface Wolmouth added the finishing touches to the architectural appearance of the building.
Queen Anne's Palace is a two-story building with a rectangular foundation, built in the Renaissance style. The house is interesting primarily for its luxurious exterior decor. On the upper part of the walls there is a frieze 80 cm wide with an elegant ornament. The core of the palace is surrounded by an openwork arcade with thirty-six columns decorated with Tuscan capitals. In the arches you can see more than a hundred carved stone reliefs, characterized by special sophistication and accuracy. Most of them depict scenes of hunting and war, as well as mythological motifs. The most notable bas-relief is a painting depicting Ferdinand I and Anna: the emperor gives his wife a fig tree flower.
On the second floor of the Belvedere there is a gallery and a ballroom. And the palace is crowned by a unique roof.
It looks like a ship's wheel. Initially, the roof was painted with white and red stripes, which housed the royal coats of arms. Today it is painted in malachite color, which gives the palace a resemblance to a precious box.
Although the Summer Palace was conceived as a gift to the Empress, she did not live to see its completion: Anna Jagiellonian died in 1547 during childbirth. Ferdinand I did not visit the Belvedere, as he moved to Vienna.
During the reign of Rudolf II, the imperial collection of paintings was located on the first floor of the castle, and on the second - an equipped observatory, where astronomical observations were made by Johann Kepler and Tycho Brahe, as well as the emperor himself. After the death of the ruler, the building was emptied, and in 1648 was looted by the Swedes. In the XVIII century by the decision of Joseph II Belvedere became an artillery laboratory. The military left it only in 1836, with the help of Count Carl Hotek.
In the middle of the XIX century the Summer Palace was reconstructed by architects Bernard Gruber and Peter Nobile. Under their leadership, monumental stairs were built in the classical style. And the students of the artist Christian Ruben painted the walls of the second floor with frescoes illustrating scenes from Czech history. The castle became an art gallery.
Today, the Summer Palace is an exhibition hall open to the public. It is also sometimes used by the Czech leadership for ceremonial events.
In the garden in front of the Summer Palace of Queen Anne in the stone pool is the Singing Fountain (unfortunately, repairs were carried out). It was made in 1568 by Tomasz Jarosz, a craftsman who cast the largest bell in Prague's St. Vitus Cathedral. The author of the project is considered to be the Italian Francesco Terza.
A special material was used to create the fountain - bronze mixed with copper for bells.
The structure is decorated with figures of people and animals, in the center of the composition is the Greek patron god of forests Pan. In addition, the fountain is decorated with hunting and plant motifs. The singing fountain is called because the jets of water flowing on the bronze surface of the pallet make melodic sounds. You can hear this "song" only by approaching the bowl of the fountain.
The construction of the palace was entrusted to two architects from Italy. Paolo della Stella was responsible for the project, and Giovanni Spazio supervised the construction work. Later, Master Spazio was replaced by John Mario de Pambio. In 1541, due to a large fire in Prague, construction was suspended. It was restored only six years later. The palace was completed in 1563, after the death of Paolo della Stella.
Architects Hans Tyrol and Boniface Wolmouth added the finishing touches to the architectural appearance of the building.
Queen Anne's Palace is a two-story building with a rectangular foundation, built in the Renaissance style. The house is interesting primarily for its luxurious exterior decor. On the upper part of the walls there is a frieze 80 cm wide with an elegant ornament. The core of the palace is surrounded by an openwork arcade with thirty-six columns decorated with Tuscan capitals. In the arches you can see more than a hundred carved stone reliefs, characterized by special sophistication and accuracy. Most of them depict scenes of hunting and war, as well as mythological motifs. The most notable bas-relief is a painting depicting Ferdinand I and Anna: the emperor gives his wife a fig tree flower.
On the second floor of the Belvedere there is a gallery and a ballroom. And the palace is crowned by a unique roof.
It looks like a ship's wheel. Initially, the roof was painted with white and red stripes, which housed the royal coats of arms. Today it is painted in malachite color, which gives the palace a resemblance to a precious box.
Although the Summer Palace was conceived as a gift to the Empress, she did not live to see its completion: Anna Jagiellonian died in 1547 during childbirth. Ferdinand I did not visit the Belvedere, as he moved to Vienna.
During the reign of Rudolf II, the imperial collection of paintings was located on the first floor of the castle, and on the second - an equipped observatory, where astronomical observations were made by Johann Kepler and Tycho Brahe, as well as the emperor himself. After the death of the ruler, the building was emptied, and in 1648 was looted by the Swedes. In the XVIII century by the decision of Joseph II Belvedere became an artillery laboratory. The military left it only in 1836, with the help of Count Carl Hotek.
In the middle of the XIX century the Summer Palace was reconstructed by architects Bernard Gruber and Peter Nobile. Under their leadership, monumental stairs were built in the classical style. And the students of the artist Christian Ruben painted the walls of the second floor with frescoes illustrating scenes from Czech history. The castle became an art gallery.
Today, the Summer Palace is an exhibition hall open to the public. It is also sometimes used by the Czech leadership for ceremonial events.
In the garden in front of the Summer Palace of Queen Anne in the stone pool is the Singing Fountain (unfortunately, repairs were carried out). It was made in 1568 by Tomasz Jarosz, a craftsman who cast the largest bell in Prague's St. Vitus Cathedral. The author of the project is considered to be the Italian Francesco Terza.
A special material was used to create the fountain - bronze mixed with copper for bells.
The structure is decorated with figures of people and animals, in the center of the composition is the Greek patron god of forests Pan. In addition, the fountain is decorated with hunting and plant motifs. The singing fountain is called because the jets of water flowing on the bronze surface of the pallet make melodic sounds. You can hear this "song" only by approaching the bowl of the fountain.
Translated automatically from Ukrainian. View original
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