A great military leader with an adventurous life, Count Albert of Wallenstein is a real character in a novel: immensely wealthy, he ended his life tragically, murdered for state treachery. He had this immense Prague palace built for his personal use, a celebration of his power and success. It is the most monumental residence in the area after Prague Castle.
The plot of land needed for this megalomaniac project was freed up by demolishing more than twenty houses, a brickworks and three gardens. Between 1624 and 1630, the Count had an immense group of buildings extended by a Mannerist garden, adorned with bronze sculptures, a sala terrena and an artificial grotto.
The palace itself, built by Italian artists, is in a transitional style between Mannerism and early Baroque. It is arranged around several courtyards. The main façade stretches 60 m across Place Wallenstein and is punctuated by numerous windows and three portals. From outside the main courtyard, be sure to take a look at the private chapel, surprisingly high and narrow, decorated with frescoes and gilded stucco, where members of the family could attend religious celebrations from private balconies on the various floors.
The Wallenstein Palace now houses the Czech Senate. However, you can visit its most beautiful reception rooms on Saturdays and Sundays.
The most exceptional space is the large two-storey auditorium, 288 m long: its monumental architecture is one of the most brilliant achievements of the early Baroque in Central Europe. A colossal order of pilasters punctuates the layout of the room, which is decorated with stuccos depicting military trophies, garlands of fruit and winged angels in a variety of attitudes and expressions. Monumental fireplaces and large mirrors further extend the space. On the ceiling, a fresco by Baccio del Bianco depicts Mars, the God of War, on his chariot launched by winged horses, an exaltation of Count Wallenstein’s warrior virtues.
Other beautiful rooms in the palace are also open to the public at weekends, including the Knights’ Hall, the Audience Room and the Mythological Corridor.
