Liechtenstein Palace - Malostranské Square 13/258 (Nerudova Street 1/258), Lesser Town
Malostranské Square 13/258 (Nerudova Street 1/258), Lesser Town
The whole west side of the Lesser Town Square is occupied by the Classicist Liechtenstein Palace built after 1591 by Jan Lobkowicz, converted from a number of Renaissance townhouses and aristocratic residences. In 1620 the palace was gained by the Imperial governor in Bohemia Karel of Lichtenstein. The current appearance of the Palace is from a period after 1791 when the Liechtensteins commissioned J. Hummel for its reconstruction; the individual buildings were unified by a single Classicist façade and the interiors were radically rebuilt. In 172-90 the palace was rented by Prague Postal Office, in 1827 Prague’s second Decorative Arts Exhibition took place there, in 1848-1918 the Provincial Military Headquarters was based there. In 1811-26 J. Dobrovský, member of the Czech patriotic movement and Slavonist, lived in the back tract of the palace. The palace was refurbished in 1993 and is currently used as the seat of the Academy of Performing Arts (the Music Palace). In front of the palace, there are 27 columns with reliefs of male heads by K. Nepraš fitted into the cobblestones. These commemorate 27 men who were condemned to death by Karel of Liechtenstein and mercilessly executed on the Old Town Square in 1621. Allegedly family members of the condemned men gathered in this place and pleaded for their liberation.