Martinický palác, Renaissance palace in Hradčany, Czech Republic.

Martinic Palace is a four-winged Renaissance building on Hradčany Square, with its main facade facing the square and a side wing on Kanovnická Street. It stands on the site of several medieval houses, one once occupied by chronicler Beneš Krabice z Weitmile. Its facades and courtyard bear sgraffito scenes of Joseph in Egypt, Samson and Hercules.

The palace was built a few years after the 1541 fire that destroyed Hradčany and Malá Strana, on the site of medieval houses. In 1589 it was sold to Jiří Bořita of Martinic, who began rebuilding it; his nephew Jaroslav, thrown from a Prague Castle window in 1618, added a floor and a north wing after 1620. The Martinic family owned it until 1788.

The palace displays the craftsmanship of the Renaissance period through its elaborate sgraffito decorations on the facade. These works tell biblical stories and reflect the appreciation for artistic detail that was valued during that era.

The palace is accessible for visiting and several rooms can be used for events, including the main hall. It is worthwhile to allow time for exploring the interior spaces and decorations.

Jaroslav Bořita had the palace rebuilt after 1620 on the same massing and spatial layout as the Royal Palace at Prague Castle, but at half its scale — reportedly a symbol of his power and of his survival of the 1618 defenestration.