Wratislaw Palace

History

Archaeological research has confirmed that the first settlement at this location was in the 12th century. The first written mention of the housing development originates from 1591 when two town houses were built on the present site.

Wratislaw Palace is a combination of those houses bought in 1671 by Franz Christoph Wratislaw von Mittrowitz who had them rebuilt into the palace. A few years later, this aristocrat also created the garden on adjacent Petřin Hill with huge steps, a wall, a grotto, Sala Terrena and fountains.

The palace was rebuilt in classicist style during 1824-1834 and received the new facade as still exists today, although the owners did not use the palace. It was turned into a secondary school at Lesser Quarter (Malostranské gymnázium) from 1861 – 1876 and underwent extensive reconstruction in the 1990s.