Description of the attraction
If you walk to Prague Castle from the Hradcanska metro station, your path will pass by the Royal Gardens (Kralovska Zagrada), which can be walked absolutely free of charge from 10 am to 6 pm. The main pearl of the Královské Zagrada is the Queen Anne's Summer Palace, or Belvedere. This small building, built in the Italian Renaissance style, with a green tile roof resembles a precious box. According to art critics, this is the most beautiful Renaissance palace in the Czech Republic.
The Belvedere was built by order of Ferdinand I of Habsburg, who wanted to please his beloved wife, Queen Anne. Construction began in 1538 and lasted until 1565. The Queen died of childbirth much earlier than the palace was completed. The inconsolable widower commanded to pay special attention to the decoration of the palace, perpetuating the memory of his wife with the help of a bas-relief, on which you can see the king presenting a flower to his wife.
Queen Anne's Summer Palace is also associated with the name of the famous astronomer Tycho Brahe. This renowned scientist conducted his research there. Emperor Rudolph II used the Belvedere to store a collection of paintings. A safe haven for such precious art objects was precarious and was subsequently plundered. Some of the missing canvases from the collection of Rudolf II are now on display at the Louvre.
Nowadays, various art exhibitions are held in the Belvedere building. Sometimes the President of the Czech Republic receives distinguished guests here.
