Consider this: a queen’s longing for a piece of her homeland, manifested in the heart of Prague. That yearning took the form of the Queen Anne’s Summer Palace. Ferdinand I commissioned it for his wife, Anne Jagiellonica. Building began in 1538. It finished in 1560.
Queen Anne’s Summer Palace stands as one of the purest examples of Italian Renaissance architecture outside of Italy. It is also known as Belvedere. The Queen Anne’s Summer Palace graces the Royal Garden of Prague Castle.
Initially, Italian architect Paolo della Stella designed it. Giovanni Spatio started construction. Sadly, both men died before completion. Queen Anne Jagiellonica also passed away before she could see it finished.
For years, the Queen Anne’s Summer Palace remained largely unused. That is, until Rudolf II transformed its first floor. It became an astronomical observatory. The emperor even housed guests within its walls. After Rudolf II’s death, the palace sat idle again for three decades.
During the Thirty Years War, Swedish soldiers used it as a military base. Later, for over a century, it housed an artillery laboratory. Governor Karl, Count Chotek, finally evicted the artillery.
The Queen Anne’s Summer Palace then underwent a significant renovation. Bernhard Grueber and Pietro Nobile led the charge. They added a picture gallery and a Classicist staircase. Further reconstruction occurred in the 1860s.
In the 1950s, Czech architect Pavel Janák restored the Queen Anne’s Summer Palace. It became an exhibition hall. It earned the status of a National Cultural Monument in 1962. Since then, it has hosted fine and applied arts exhibitions.
The lower level features an arcade gallery surrounding the entire structure. The upper floor houses residential areas, a dance hall, and a gallery. Bonifác Wohlmut added the copper roof above the arcade gallery. It was not part of della Stella’s original design.
Don’t miss the Singing Fountain. You can find it in front of the Queen Anne’s Summer Palace. It has adorned the courtyard since 1558. Today, locals often call the palace the Belvedere. People visit for the art exhibitions. They also come to admire the unique architecture. The Queen Anne’s Summer Palace stands as a testament to love, art, and history.