Schönbornská zahrada, Baroque garden in Malá Strana, Czech Republic.
Schönbornská zahrada is a 2.68-hectare baroque terraced garden on the northern slope of Petřín Hill, above Vrtbovská Garden. It has a retaining wall with a central arch on a north-south axis, two lower terraces linked by a double staircase, and an arcaded lookout pavilion, the Glorieta, flying the US flag. Three brick fountains with sandstone basins sit in the retaining walls.
Count Rudolf of Colloredo-Waldsee, Grand Prior of the Order of Malta and military commander of Prague, had the garden laid out with the palace around 1650. Jan Blažej Santini-Aichel and Giovanni Battista Alliprandi later reworked it in baroque form, and at the end of the 18th century the Schönborn family had it remade as an English landscape garden. Since 1924 it has belonged to the United States together with the palace, now its embassy.
The garden takes its name from the Schönborn family, who acquired the palace at the end of the 18th century and had the grounds reworked in the English landscape style. Since 1924 the garden has belonged to the United States together with the palace, which now serves as the US embassy; the arcaded Glorieta flies the American flag.
The garden is not open to the public because it serves as a diplomatic residence and is protected from public access. Visitors can view it from outside through various vantage points in the neighborhood, particularly from nearby streets and paths.
The grounds once held a special viewing pavilion called Glorieta, a name derived from the Latin word for glory. This small structure stood out visibly against the Prague skyline and served as a favored spot for gazing out over the city from above.
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