Page 113 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Prague

PR A GUE C ASTLE AND HR ADČ AN Y  111

through the wet top layer of
plaster on to a con trasting
undercoat. The garden is
beautiful in spring when
thousands of tulips bloom.
This is where tulips were
first acclimatized to Europe.

w Riding School
Jízdárna
Prague Castle. Map 2 D2. Tel 224 373
232. X Malostranská, Hradčanská.
v 22. Open 10am–6pm during
exhibitions.
The 17th-century Riding School
forms one side of U Prašného
mostu, a road which runs to the
northern side of Prague Castle
via Deer Moat. In the 1920s, it
was converted into an exhibition
hall, which now holds important
exhibitions of painting and
sculpture. A garden provides
excellent views of St. Vitus’s
Cathedral and the northern
fortifications of the castle.
e Archbishop’s
Antonín Braun’s statue of The Allegory of Night in front of the Ball Game Hall Palace
Arcibiskupský Palác
as Queen Anne’s Summerhouse Mercury and Psyche, now in Hradčanské náměstí 16. Map 2 D3.
(Letohrádek Královny Anny), it the Louvre in Paris. Today, the X Malostranská, Hradčanská.
is an arcaded building with Belvedere is used as an art gallery. v 22. Closed to the public.
slender Ionic columns topped
by a roof shaped like an inverted Ferdinand I bought this sumptu-
ship’s hull clad in blue-green q Royal Garden ous palace in 1562 for the first
copper. The main architect was Královská Zahrada Catholic Archbishop since the
Paolo della Stella, who was also Prague Castle, U Prašného mostu. Hussite Wars (see pp28–9). An
responsible for the ornate reliefs Map 2 D2. X Malostranská, imposing building, it has four
inside the arcade. Work began Hradčanská. v 22. Open May–Oct: wings and four courtyards. It
in 1538 but was interrupted by 10am–6pm daily (May & Sep: to 7pm; replaced the old Archbishop’s
the great Castle fire of 1541 and Jun & Jul: to 9pm; Aug: to 8pm). & Palace in the Little Quarter, which
not completed until 1564. 7 ∑ hrad.cz had been destroyed during
In the middle of the small the wars, and has remained the
geometrical garden in front of The garden was created in 1535 Archbishop’s seat in Prague ever
the palace stands the Singing for Ferdinand I. Its appearance since. In the period after the
Fountain. Dating from 1568, it has been altered over time, but Battle of the White Mountain
owes its name to the musical some examples of 16th- century (see pp32–3), it was a powerful
sound the water makes as it garden architecture have symbol of Catholic
hits the bronze bowl, though survived, notably the domination of the
you have to listen closely to Belvedere and the Ball city and the Czech
appreciate the effect. The Game Hall (Míčovna), lands. Its spectacular
fountain was cast by Tomáš built by Bonifaz cream-coloured
Jaroš, the famous bell founder, Wohlmut in 1569. Rococo façade
who lived and worked in the The building was designed by
Powder Tower (see p100). is covered in beautiful, Johann Joseph Wirch
Many of the Belvedere’s works though much in the 1760s for
of art were plundered by the re stored, Renaissance Archbishop Antonín
Swedish army in 1648. The sgraffito, a form of Příchovský, whose
statues stolen inc luded Adri aen decoration created by Příchovský coat of arms sits proudly
de Vries’s 16th- century bronze of cutting a design coat of arms above the portal.

110-111_EW_Prague.indd 111 20/03/17 11:14 am