The Colloredo-Mansfeld Palace (Colloredo-Mansfeldský palác) is a historical Baroque palace building with a neo-Baroque facade in Prague.
The palace is one of the outstanding examples of Prague palace architecture and its interior can be visited.
The palace is part of the Gallery of the capital city of Prague (Galerie hlavního města Prahy).
The palace was built in the early 17th century in the late Renaissance style. The construction was carried out on the site of a house that previously stood here, originally of Romanesque origin.
The reconstruction of the palace in the high Baroque style was started in the early 18th century by Count Breda, probably designed by Giovanni Battista Alliprandi. However, the reconstruction was completed according to the project of František Ignaz Pree, Count of Jindřich Pavel Mansfeldski (1717-1780), who bought the palace in 1735.
Subsequently, outbuildings were added to the palace and some interior changes were carried out.
This voluminous palace building has four wings centered around the courtyard.
The palace is now an excellent example of Prague's palatial architecture with a rich architectural development combining elements of high Baroque with later modifications of Rococo and second Rococo.
The main façade of the Colloredo-Mansfeld Palace overlooks Karlova Street (Karlova ulice), near Crusader Square (Křižovnické náměstí), historical Clementinum Complex (Klementinum) and the famous Charles Bridge (Karlův most).
The monumental portal of the palace with vases and putti from Brown's workshop, crowned with the coat of arms of Colloredo-Mansfeld on the frieze, testifies to the high Baroque style.
The preserved basement with the original vault testifies to the Romanesque origin of the palace.
Visiting the rooms and halls of the palace includes halls in representative piano zones, including a Baroque dance hall with frescoes by Pietro Scotti and Giovanni Battista Zeist. The ceiling fresco of the hall depicts the Olympian gods.
The remains of a high Baroque vault have several rooms on the ground floor.
An exhibition space for short-term presentations of contemporary art has been created on the 3rd floor of the palace.
Objects Gallery of the Capital Prague
In addition to the Colloredo-Mansfeld Palace, the Gallery of the Capital City of Prague also includes:
- the house By the stone bell (Dům U Kamenneho zvonu) in the Gothic style, which now serves as an exhibition space with a Gothic chapel, located on Old Town Square (Staroměstske naměstí). Address: Staroměstske nam. 605/13, 110 00 Stare Město;
- Villa Bilek (Bílkova vila) with original interior decorations and a permanent exhibition of Bilek's works from the period of his heyday of creativity. Address: Mickiewiczova 233/1, 160 00 Praha 6;
- Prague House of Photography (Pražského domu fotografie) with photography exhibitions. Address: Revoluční 1006/5, 110 00 Prague 1 - Old Town;
- City Library 2nd floor (Městská knihovna) with representative exhibitions. Address: Mariánské náměstí 98/1, 110 00 Prague 1 - Old Town;
- castle-Villa Troja (Zámek Troja) with interiors, art exhibitions and an adjacent garden. Address: U Trojského zámku 4/1, 170 00 Prague 7;
- František Bilek's house in Hinovo (D?M Františka Bílka v Chýnově) with interiors with visual accompaniment and a local cemetery where František Bilek is buried next to his monumental five-meter statue "Prayer over Graves", created in 1905. Address: Údolní 133, 391 55 Chýnov u Tábora, Czech Republic.
Practical information
You can visit the Colloredo-Mansfeld Palace for a fee, also with excursions.
The website of the Gallery of the Capital City of Prague: ghmp.cz .
Address of the Colloredo-Mansfeld Palace: Karlova 189/2, 110 00 Praha 1.
All accommodation facilities in Prague (hotels, apartments, guest houses, etc.), including in the historical center of the city and more remotely from it, can be view and book here
