Waldstein Palace (Valdštejnský palác, also known as Wallenstein
Palace) in Prague’s Malá Strana (Lesser Town) district stands as
the first monumental early Baroque secular building in Prague
and one of the earliest in Central Europe. Commissioned by the
powerful Bohemian nobleman and imperial general Albrecht von
Wallenstein (1583–1634) as his opulent Prague residence to rival
Prague Castle itself, the palace complex was constructed between
1623 and 1630 (with some sources citing active building from
1624). It replaced 26 houses, six gardens, two brickyards, and
additional plots.
The design draws primarily from Italian
urban palace models but blends early Baroque grandeur with
lingering Mannerist (late Renaissance) and Nordic influences,
evident in rhythmic facades, portals, and decorative motifs. No
single signed plan survives, but the primary architect was the
Italian Andrea Spezza (d. 1628); he was succeeded by Niccolò
Sebregondi, while Giovanni de Galliano Pieroni (an engineer,
astrologer, and military figure) played a major role in the
overall layout, garden, sala terrena, and Riding School.
Interior decoration, especially frescoes, was led by the
Florentine artist Baccio del Bianco, with stuccowork by Milanese
masters such as Santino Galli and Domenico Canevalle.
The Commissioner: Albrecht von Waldstein’s Rise and Vision
Albrecht von Waldstein was a Czech nobleman who rose to become
generalissimo of the imperial armies during the Thirty Years’ War. After
the Catholic victory at the Battle of White Mountain in 1620, he amassed
enormous wealth by purchasing confiscated estates of Protestant rebels.
His second marriage to Isabella Katharina, daughter of Count Harrach (a
powerful imperial advisor), further elevated his status. By the early
1620s he had become one of the richest and most powerful men in the Holy
Roman Empire.
Waldstein deliberately chose a site directly below
Prague Castle to build a residence that would rival the imperial seat
itself. Construction began in 1623 (some sources cite 1624 for major
work) on a vast plot created by demolishing 26 houses, 6 gardens, 2
brickyards, and other structures. Only remnants of an earlier
Renaissance palace owned by Jan Rudolf Trčka of Lípa were partially
preserved. The project was an ostentatious display of power, wealth, and
cultural sophistication.
Architects, Construction, and Design
(1623–1630)
Italian architects led the project, reflecting the latest
Baroque and Mannerist trends from Italy. Andrea Spezza (sometimes
spelled Spezzo) was the primary designer until his death in 1628; Nicolo
Sebregondi completed the work, while Giovanni Pieroni (a mathematician,
astrologer, and pupil of Galileo Galilei) supervised construction and
contributed to specialized interiors. No original plans survive, but the
result was revolutionary: the first monumental early-Baroque secular
palace in Prague and probably Central Europe.
The complex spans
approximately 340 metres long and 172 metres wide, arranged around
multiple courtyards with a main residential wing facing Valdštejnské
náměstí (Waldstein Square). It included ceremonial halls, private
apartments, stables for 37 horses (each reportedly with its own
portrait), a riding school, and extensive gardens. Decoration was
completed by 1630 at enormous cost—furnishings alone were valued at tens
of thousands of florins, including hundreds of tapestries, carpets, and
luxury items.
Key symbolic interiors include:
The Main Hall
(Knights’ Hall or Ceremonial Hall): 288 m², 10.5 metres high—the
second-largest hall in Prague after the Spanish Hall at the Castle. Its
ceiling fresco (sketched by Baccio del Bianco, executed by Domenico
Pugliani) depicts Mars on a chariot (widely interpreted as a portrait of
Waldstein himself, with a star representing the planet Mars above his
head). Stucco work by Milanese artists (Domenico Canevalle and Santino
Galli) celebrates military trophies and victory. In the mid-19th century
marble portals from the Černín Palace were installed and walls given an
artificial-marble finish.
Astrological and Mythological Corridors:
Pieroni decorated the upper corridor with motifs based on Galileo’s
discoveries (Jupiter’s four moons, an early depiction of Saturn’s rings)
and the Zodiac. The lower corridor features scenes from Ovid’s
Metamorphoses. Waldstein was deeply influenced by astrology—Johannes
Kepler cast his horoscopes—and these spaces reflect his belief that
celestial forces guided his fate.
Chapel of St. Wenceslaus: A
two-storey private chapel with frescoes of the saint’s legend and the
oldest Baroque altar in Prague (1630, by Arnošt Jan Heidelberger).
Sala Terrena and Grotto: The first sala terrena (open loggia) in Czech
lands (1627, by Spezza), with frescoes of Olympus and the Trojan War.
Adjacent is an artificial stalactite grotto mimicking Czech caves.
The gardens were laid out in Italian Renaissance-Baroque style with an
aviary, artificial lake, and bronze statues/groups by Adriaen de Vries
(installed 1625–1626). These Mannerist masterpieces were looted in 1648
by Swedish troops and taken to Drottningholm Palace; 19th-century copies
now stand in their place. A Venus fountain (original by Benedikt
Wurzelbauer) suffered a similar fate but was returned in 1890.
Wallenstein’s Brief Residence and Violent End
Despite the palace’s
grandeur, Waldstein spent very little time there. Between the completion
of decoration in 1630 and his assassination in 1634, he stayed less than
twelve months—some sources claim only about 80 days total. He was
murdered in Cheb (Eger) on the Emperor’s orders after being declared a
traitor for secret peace negotiations with the Swedes and French. His
horoscope, which he followed devoutly, had predicted a bad end.
Confiscation, Family Retention, and Later Centuries
Because Waldstein
was branded a traitor, the Emperor confiscated the property. It soon
passed for a nominal sum to a distant relative, Maxmilian von Waldstein,
and remained in the Waldstein (Valdštejn) family almost continuously
until 1945—over 300 years. The family added minor modifications, but the
core structure endured.
The palace suffered repeated looting: Swedish
troops under General Königsmark in 1648 (during the final phase of the
Thirty Years’ War) and French forces in 1742 (War of the Austrian
Succession). In 1765 part of the garden was ceded to the Augustinians
for their brewery. By the late 19th century the garden opened to the
public twice weekly. A notable cultural event was the 1859 gala
performance of Schiller’s Wallenstein in the garden theatre.
20th
Century and Transition to Public Use
After the Munich Agreement
(1938), the last private owner, Karel Albrecht von Waldstein, received
German citizenship and joined the NSDAP; post-war Beneš decrees placed
the property under state administration. It became state property in
1945. The stables housed the Pedagogical Museum of Jan Amos Comenius
from 1956. The riding hall was remodelled (1952–1954) for the National
Gallery. In 1995 the entire complex was declared a national cultural
monument.
The Senate Era (1996–Present)
In 1996 the Senate of
the Parliament of the Czech Republic moved into the Waldstein Palace
(together with the adjacent Kolowrat and Small Fürstenberg palaces). The
first plenary session was held in the Main Hall on 18 December 1996.
Between 1996 and 1998 the former stables were sensitively converted into
the modern Plenary Session Hall (60 × 8.6 metres), preserving Baroque
elements while adding seating, galleries, and interpretation booths.
Extensive renovations concluded around 2001.
Today the palace hosts
Senate sessions, conferences, cultural events, and limited public tours
(weekends in season, free guided tours by appointment). The gardens
remain a popular oasis. A bronze statue of Albrecht von Waldstein (based
on a 19th-century model) stands in the second courtyard as a reminder of
the building’s founder.
Overall Layout and Scale
The enormous complex measures
approximately 340 metres long by 172 metres wide. It comprises
two-storey residential wings and lower one-storey administrative and
service buildings arranged around five courtyards (four of which form
the core residential area). A sophisticated system of corridors connects
every part of the palace — an innovative feature for the period that
allowed movement from the Audience Hall to the Duke’s private study or
the gardens without passing through individual rooms. The main wing
(about 60 metres long) faces Valdštejnské náměstí to the west; the east
side opens onto the formal Italian-style garden; stables (now the Senate
Plenary Hall) lie to the north; and the Riding School extends eastward
toward Klárov.
Exterior Architecture
The main façade on
Valdštejnské náměstí is three storeys high with a dense, rhythmic grid
of windows, numerous lucarnes (dormer windows in the roof), and several
portals. The central portal is blind and features a showcase with a
pilgrimage painting of the Virgin Mary of Klatovy. Late-Renaissance and
Nordic Mannerist elements appear in the portal detailing and
Netherlandish-style dormers. The east façade overlooking the garden is
more monumental and theatrical, dominated by the sala terrena (open
loggia) with three grand arcades supported on doubled columns — a direct
nod to Italian Baroque prototypes (modelled after a portico in Livorno).
Rich stucco ornamentation and frescoed lunettes animate the surfaces.
The overall effect is one of imposing symmetry and rhythmic repetition,
typical of early Baroque but executed with Mannerist restraint.
Key Interiors
The palace interiors were originally sumptuously
furnished with Italian and Netherlandish tapestries, Venetian mirrors,
and imported furniture (much of which was later looted). Surviving
decorative programs celebrate Wallenstein’s military glory, astrological
interests, and Catholic piety.
Main Hall (Knights’ Hall / Great
Ceremonial Hall): The centrepiece, located in the west wing. It spans
288 m² and rises 10.5 metres (two full storeys), making it the
second-largest hall in 17th-century Prague after the Spanish Hall at
Prague Castle. Originally an antechamber for guards and visitors, its
double-height space is lit by two tiers of windows. The vaulted ceiling
features a monumental fresco (sketched by Baccio del Bianco in 1623,
executed by Domenico Pugliani in 1628) depicting Wallenstein
allegorically as the god Mars riding a war chariot pulled by four horses
(a deliberate deviation from classical iconography to flatter the Duke’s
vanity). Rich stucco frames include winged geniuses, palm trees,
weapons, trophies, musical instruments, and victory crowns. 19th-century
alterations added marble portals (brought from Černín Palace) and
artificial-marble wall cladding.
Audience Chamber: A small
circular room with a domed ceiling. Stuccowork and frescoes (again by
del Bianco) illustrate Ovid’s Four Ages of Man and allegories of the
Four Periods of the Day, plus scenes of Vulcan’s workshop with Venus. A
private staircase leads from here to the upper corridors.
Mythological Corridor and Astrological Corridor: The innovative corridor
system includes these painted passages. The Mythological Corridor
displays 16 medallions of scenes from Ovid’s Metamorphoses (Mercury &
Argus, Diana and Actaeon, Perseus and Medusa, etc.). The Astrological
Corridor, influenced by Pieroni (a pupil of Galileo), features zodiac
signs, planetary deities, allegories of the four continents, and the
earliest artistic depictions of Galileo’s discoveries (Jupiter’s four
moons and Saturn’s rings, shown as “two moons”).
Leather Hall (former
Knights’ Hall) and Mirror Hall/Antechamber: The Leather Hall retains
replica 19th-century gold-stamped calf-leather wall coverings and a
ceiling fresco of Pallas Athena. The Mirror Hall contains two
18th-century Murano Venetian mirrors and original Italian chests.
St
Wenceslaus Chapel: A two-storey private chapel in the first (Ducal)
courtyard — the earliest Baroque sacred interior in Prague and the Czech
lands. Walls are covered with frescoes of the legend of St Wenceslaus
and Marian motifs. Three oratories open onto the western wall (Duke,
Duchess, and servants). The altar (1630) by cabinet-maker Arnošt Jan
Heidelberger is Prague’s oldest surviving Baroque example of its type,
with a painting of the saint’s martyrdom.
Other notable spaces
include the Duke’s private study and the former stables (60 × 8.6 m
barrel-vaulted hall with horse portraits above each of 37 boxes, now the
Senate plenary chamber).
Garden and Outbuildings
The
Italian-style formal garden (one of the first in Prague) lies south of
the palace and is enclosed by high walls and buildings. At its heart
stands the sala terrena — a 30-metre-long open loggia/pavilion built in
1627. Its three arcades frame a high vaulted ceiling with frescoes of
Olympus (Zeus, Hera, Venus), Trojan War heroes, and Argonaut myths; the
walls and vaults explode with stucco in the horror vacui style (no empty
space). It opens onto a fountain and the main axis lined with bronze
statues. Adjacent is an artificial grotto with realistic stalactites
(mimicking Postojna Cave) and an aviary; an artificial lake with an
island once existed. The garden originally housed original bronze
sculptures and groups by the Netherlandish Mannerist master Adriaen de
Vries (most looted by Swedish troops in 1648; present ones are
19th-century copies). A monumental fountain and parterres complete the
axial Italian design. The Riding School (attributed to Pieroni) lies to
the east.
Unique Features and Legacy
Wallenstein’s palace is
remarkable for its scale and programmatic decoration: military triumph
in the Main Hall, astrological/astronomical erudition in the corridors
(reflecting the Duke’s famous belief in the stars), and pious Catholic
iconography in the chapel. The corridor system and sala terrena were
pioneering in Central Europe. After Wallenstein’s assassination in 1634,
the palace remained in the family until 1945; it later became the seat
of the Czech Senate (with sensitive restorations preserving original
features). Today it is a National Cultural Monument and offers limited
public access to select interiors and the freely accessible gardens.