Queen Anne's Summer Palace, Renaissance palace in Royal Garden, Prague, Czech Republic
Queen Anne's Summer Palace is a two-storey rectangular Renaissance building in the Royal Garden of Prague Castle, its core wrapped on all four sides by an arcade walkway on Ionic columns, with a terrace above and a broad curved copper roof added by Bonifác Wohlmut. Mythological reliefs fill the spandrels of the arches, and a tiered stone fountain stands in front.
Ferdinand I commissioned construction between 1538 and 1560 for his wife Anne Jagiellonica, who passed away before completion. Rudolf II later established an observatory on the first floor where Tycho Brahe conducted astronomical research.
The name Belvedere comes from the Italian for a fine view, not from any sound the roof makes. In front of the palace stands the Singing Fountain, cast in bronze in 1568 by Brno founder Tomáš Jaroš to a design by Francesco Terzio. Since 1962 the palace has been a National Cultural Monument and serves as an exhibition hall for fine and applied arts.
The palace sits in the Royal Garden near Prague Castle and can be reached through the northern entrance. The path leads through the garden and offers a pleasant walk before visiting the exhibition rooms.
The building's nickname Belvedere comes from the Italian for a fine view, not from any sound. On the roof stood a pair of imperial eagles as sheet-metal banners, and a painted Czech two-tailed lion covered the roof surface, making the palace visible from the city. The Singing Fountain in front was cast in bronze in 1568 by Tomáš Jaroš.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,147 contributors worldwide.
