MacNeven Palace in Prague

MacNeven Palace is a historic townhouse at Palackého 7 in Prague's New Town, just a short walk from Wenceslas Square. The building links Vodičkova and Jungmannova streets and is protected as a Czech cultural monument — today it houses a memorial to two figures central to the Czech National Revival.

Where does the palace's name come from?

The building owes its current look and its name to Baron Wilhelm MacNeven, for whom architect Ignác Jan Nepomuk Palliardi carried out a thorough reconstruction around 1770. That Baroque-Rococo remodeling gave the facade the form it still has today, even though the plot's history reaches much further back.

How old is the building really?

Two Gothic houses, built after 1370 and belonging to a convent attached to the Church of Our Lady of the Snows, originally stood on the site. They were merged into a single structure in the early 15th century. Before 1613 the building underwent a Renaissance rebuild under owner Jan Třeboňský of Kružnov, a chamberlain of the Bohemian land registry. It took another century and a half, under Baron MacNeven, for the house to take on the Baroque-Rococo shape visitors see now.

What does the facade look like?

The front elevation is Baroque with Rococo touches: two upper floors, six window axes, pilasters topped with composite capitals, and a low-set band decorated with Rococo stucco work. In 1908 a new three-story wing was added on the courtyard side, expanding the building's usable floor space.

Who lived in the palace after MacNeven?

Following Wilhelm MacNeven, the property passed in 1790 to Ferdinand Hirsch of Sternfeld. It later came into the family of the woman who married historian and politician František Palacký, and through that marriage Palacký moved into the palace, living there until his death in 1876. In 1853 Palacký's daughter Marie married František Ladislav Rieger, who also settled in the house and lived there until his own death in 1903. The property then passed to Rieger's son, Bohuslav Rieger.

Why does this address matter to Czech history?

Through the 19th and into the early 20th century, the palace was a hub of Prague's social, political and artistic life. It hosted gatherings of writers and National Revival figures, including František Palacký and Karel Havlíček Borovský, at a time when Czech language and culture were re-asserting themselves after centuries under German-speaking administration — meetings that helped shape modern Czech national identity.

What can visitors see there today?

The building now serves as a memorial exhibition dedicated to František Palacký and František Ladislav Rieger, forming one of the National Museum's long-term displays in Prague. Visits inside are possible by prior arrangement, which keeps the palace a quieter stop than the busy routes around nearby Wenceslas Square, despite how close it sits to them.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is MacNeven Palace? At Palackého 7 in Prague's New Town (Prague 1), between Vodičkova and Jungmannova streets, close to Wenceslas Square.

Where does the palace's name come from? From Baron Wilhelm MacNeven, for whom architect Ignác Jan Nepomuk Palliardi rebuilt the house around 1770, giving it its current Baroque-Rococo appearance.

How old is the building? The site was first built up after 1370 with two Gothic houses that were joined into one in the early 15th century; the palace only took its present form in the 18th century.

Who lived in the palace in the 19th century? František Palacký, who lived there until his death in 1876, followed by his son-in-law František Ladislav Rieger until 1903.

Can the palace be visited? Yes, the interior can be visited by prior arrangement as part of the National Museum's long-term exhibition honoring Palacký and Rieger.