The initial Renaissance garden created by Giovanni Spatio was inspired by the Italian style, with regular lines. Nothing is left from this original design, except for the sublime Queen Anne summer palace (or Belvedere), at the eastern edge of the garden. It was built for the Empress Anne, Ferdinand’s beloved wife, as a pleasure palace. It is one of the most charming edifices built in an Italian Renaissance style in Bohemia. It was designed by an Italian, Paolo della Stella, between 1538 and 1552. The first floor is surrounded by a beautiful loggia with a regular ionic colonnade which presents harmonious proportions. It is adorned with various bas-reliefs depicting mythological or historical scenes. The upper floor is surmounted by an extraordinary curvilinear copper roof and was added later by the court architect Bonifac Wohlmut, it was completed in 1563.
In front of the Belvedere, the little Giardinetto, rearranged in the 20th century in a neo-Renaissance style, is dominated by the famous 16th century “singing fountain”. Its name was inspired by the harmonious sound of water drops falling on the copper basin. It is topped by a small bagpipe player and is a very pretty sculpted decoration.
If you continue towards the West you will walk through an English-style romantic garden, as it was designed in the 19th century. It is composed of wonderful and diverse tree and shrub species, with mainly conifers, lime-trees, hornbeams, beeches and maples.
In the 17th century the garden was already home to countless rare species, donated to various Emperors by distinguished guests. The very first tulips in Europe, offered by the Turkish sultan of Constantinople, were planted here. They were later exported from Prague to the Netherlands where they became extremely successful as we all know. At the time of the rule of Rudolph II, the garden also included a menagerie (with lions, bears, tigers, parrots…), an orangery, and utilitarian plants.
To the South of the garden stands another Renaissance building displaying striking architectural qualities: it is the former real tennis room, built in the 1560’s by Bonifac Wohlmut. It is entirely decorated with black and white sgraffiti, which were severely damaged during a 1945 fire and later renovated by the communists, who used the opportunity to add a few hammers and sickles... In front of the building you can observe the splendid Baroque sculpture by Matyas Bernard Braun, which represents an allegory of The Night. Its counterpart The Day has unfortunately not been preserved.
The garden also includes the former presidential residence, in use from 1938 to 1989. It was set in a part of a Baroque building, refurbished in the early 20th century.
On the western side, the garden opens with the Hercules Fountain and a beautiful set of Baroque sculptures, where little chubby cherubs joyfully ride on crowned lions.
Pražský hrad – Site of the Prague Castle
Prague 1
www.hrad.cz
How to get there:
Tramway 22, stop "Pražský hrad"
Opening hours:
In April and October: every day from 10am to 6pm.
In May and September: every day from 10am to 7pm.
In June and July: every day from 10am to 9pm.
In August: every day from 10am to 8pm.
Note that the Royal garden is closed during the winter, from November to March.
