Černínský palác

Czernín Palace (Czech: Černínský palác) is one of the largest Baroque palaces in Prague, occupying the western side of Loretánské náměstí in the Hradčany district. It has served as the seat of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1934, and its inner courtyard is forever linked to the unresolved 1948 death of Foreign Minister Jan Masaryk.

Why is the palace so enormous?

Count Humprecht Jan Černín of Chudenice, an Austrian diplomat, commissioned the palace after 1664, reportedly wanting a residence that could rival the imperial buildings he had encountered on his diplomatic postings abroad. Architect Francesco Caratti drew up the design in 1668, and construction ran from 1669 to 1682. The result was a vast complex on an elongated rectangular plan, with four wings enclosing two arcaded courtyards around a central cross-wing. The main facade facing the square stretches roughly 140 metres, making it one of the longest Baroque facades anywhere in Prague.

What happened to the building after Černín's death?

Through the 18th century the palace was repeatedly damaged in wars between European powers, and each time it was repaired and its garden replanted. Far more damaging in the long run was its conversion into military barracks, a utilitarian use that stripped away much of its Baroque decoration and left the building in poor condition for decades. Recovery only came in 1929-1934, when architect Pavel Janák led a major reconstruction that restored the palace's Baroque appearance. Since 1934 it has continuously housed the foreign ministry - first of Czechoslovakia, and since 1993 of the Czech Republic.

Why is the palace linked to Jan Masaryk's death?

On 10 March 1948, the body of Jan Masaryk - then foreign minister and son of Czechoslovakia's first president, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk - was found in the palace's inner courtyard. He had fallen from a bathroom window of his official apartment, just weeks after the Communist takeover of February 1948. Whether it was suicide, an accident, or murder has never been conclusively established; the most recent police investigation into the case was closed in March 2021 without a definitive finding. That unresolved question keeps the palace among the most talked-about sites on Hradčany hill.

Can visitors go inside?

As an active government building, the palace is not a conventional tourist attraction and most of its interior stays closed to the public. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs occasionally opens the palace garden and select representative rooms during public open days, so travellers hoping to see more than the facade should watch for announcements of these events rather than expect walk-in access.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Czernín Palace located? It stands on Hradčany hill, on Loretánské náměstí, right next to the Loreta shrine and monastery.

Who uses the building today? The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs has had its headquarters there since 1934.

Who designed the palace? Italian architect Francesco Caratti drew up the 1668 design for Count Humprecht Jan Černín of Chudenice.

Is the interior open to visitors? Only occasionally, during ministry-organised open days - day to day the building functions as a working government office.

What is known about Jan Masaryk's death there? The foreign minister died in March 1948 after falling from a bathroom window into the inner courtyard; the exact circumstances remain unresolved despite several investigations.