Auersperg Palace

Auersperg Palace (Aueršperský palác) is a late Baroque palace in Prague's Malá Strana district, standing on Valdštejnské náměstí. Since 1990 it has formed part of the building complex used by the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament, together with neighbouring houses on Tomášská street. The palace is listed as a protected cultural monument.

How did the palace on Malá Strana take shape?

The building took its current form at the end of the 17th century, when several older townhouses were merged into a single two-storey corner palace with an open arcade on the ground floor. Its facade received a relatively restrained early Baroque treatment, with an order of Tuscan pilasters running across the front and continuing along the side walls. Parts of the cellars, however, are much older, with Gothic-era foundations surviving beneath the Baroque structure above.

Who rebuilt it, and where does the name come from?

Between 1680 and 1682, the older houses on the site were bought by the imperial diplomat Count Jan Jiří Marek of Clary-Aldringen, who had them combined into one palace. The property then stayed in the hands of the Clary-Aldringen family for generations, until 1856, when it was purchased by Karel Vilém, Prince of Auersperg (1814–1890). It is his family name that the palace still carries today. The new owner carried out Classicist alterations to adapt the interiors to his household's needs. An earlier renovation had already taken place after 1751, and further significant building work followed in the 1930s.

What has archaeology uncovered beneath the palace?

Excavations on the site have brought to light remains of early medieval production activity, along with the edge of a cemetery linked to the nearby Church of St Andrew. These finds indicate that the ground beneath today's Valdštejnské náměstí was already in intensive use long before Malá Strana's Baroque palaces were built.

What do the interiors look like today?

Selected rooms still preserve stucco-decorated ceilings and painted wooden beam ceilings, evidence of the palace's formerly representative character. After 1990, when the Czech Parliament took over the building, it underwent extensive renovation to adapt it for the administrative and office needs of the Chamber of Deputies. The palace is not run as a stand-alone visitor attraction today; it serves as part of a state institution's premises, and its facade can only be admired from the square outside.

Where exactly is the palace located?

Auersperg Palace stands in Malá Strana, right by Valdštejnské náměstí, one of the district's most prestigious squares, surrounded by other palace residences that once belonged to Prague's aristocracy.

Frequently asked questions

Can you visit the inside of Auersperg Palace? No. The building is not open to visitors, since it forms part of the Chamber of Deputies complex within the Czech Parliament.

Where does the palace's name come from? From Karel Vilém, Prince of Auersperg, who bought the property from the Clary-Aldringen family in 1856 and had it rebuilt in the Classicist style.

When was the palace built? Its current form dates back to 1680–1682, when Count Jan Jiří Marek of Clary-Aldringen merged several older townhouses into one palace; parts of the cellars are older still, dating from the Gothic period.

Was anything archaeologically significant found beneath the palace? Yes. Excavations revealed traces of early medieval production activity and part of an old cemetery connected to the Church of St Andrew.

Is the palace a legally protected monument? Yes, Auersperg Palace is listed on the Czech register of cultural monuments (kulturní památka).