Millesimovský palác, Celetná

Millesimovský Palace is a late Baroque building on Celetná Street in Prague's Old Town, one of several palaces lining this historic route, now used by Charles University. Protected as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic since 1964, it forms part of one of Prague's oldest and most walked streets.

Where is the palace located?

The building stands at Celetná 597/13, in Prague 1, right at the heart of the Old Town, on the street that connects the Old Town Square with the Powder Tower. The palace has a four-wing layout: its main front faces Celetná, while the rear wing extends to the parallel Štupartská Street.

How did the building take shape over the centuries?

From medieval houses to a single palace

The site originally held two, possibly three, Romanesque houses. Their foundations were later used to build a single Gothic structure, which was subsequently remodeled in the Renaissance style. Among its recorded owners were the Černín family and the Hrzán family of Harasov, and by the 17th century the property had passed to the Vratislav family of Mitrovice.

The Baroque rebuilding and the Caretto-Millesimo family

In the first half of the 18th century, Count Kryštof Cavriani acquired the property and had it rebuilt in the Baroque style, a project attributed to either Anselmo Martino Lurago or František Ignác Prée. Jan Josef Caretto-Millesimo then bought the nearly finished palace and completed the reconstruction in 1756, placing his family's coat of arms above the entrance — the source of the palace's present-day name.

What happened to the palace in the 20th century?

In the 1970s the building was converted for educational use: its inner courtyard was roofed over and fitted with a library, and it housed the Institute of Marxism-Leninism at the time. Since 1990, the palace has belonged to Charles University, which continues to use its premises.

Frequently asked questions

Can visitors go inside Millesimovský Palace? The building serves as university premises rather than a museum, so access to the interior depends on how Charles University is using the rooms at a given time. The façade and courtyard remain visible from Celetná and Štupartská streets.

Where does the palace's name come from? It comes from the Caretto-Millesimo family — specifically Jan Josef Caretto-Millesimo, who finished the Baroque reconstruction in 1756 and marked the building with his coat of arms.

Is this the only Millesimovský Palace in Prague? No. Prague also has another palace of the same name on Panská Street, an entirely separate building with its own history. This one sits on Celetná, next to the Old Town Square.

Is the building a listed monument? Yes, it has been listed as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic since 1964.