Thun-Hohensteinský palác

Thun-Hohenstein Palace is a Baroque residence on Nerudova Street in Prague's Malá Strana district, home to the Embassy of Italy since 1924. The building is known for one of the finest Baroque facades in the neighborhood, crowned by a monumental portal with carved eagles.

Who built the palace and when?

The palace's grand main wing was built in the 1720s for the Kolowrat family. The design came from Jan Blažej Santini-Aichl, one of the leading architects of Bohemian Baroque, celebrated for blending Gothic and Baroque forms in his church commissions. An older part of the property on the same plot dates back further and had previously belonged to the Slavata family.

Why does the palace carry the Thun-Hohenstein name?

The name comes from the family that took ownership in the second half of the 18th century through marriage. A Kolowrat heiress married into the Thun-Hohenstein family, and the estate then passed to their line, remaining in Thun-Hohenstein hands until the 1920s. That is why both names, Kolowrat Palace and Thun-Hohenstein Palace, are used for the same building depending on the source.

What makes the facade so distinctive?

The facade carries rich sculptural decoration by Matthias Bernard Braun, one of the most important sculptors of the Prague Baroque period. Two large eagles flank the entrance portal facing Nerudova Street, originally the heraldic emblem of the Kolowrat family, and they remain one of the most photographed details along this stretch of the street. The building itself has two main floors and three projecting bays topped with gables, opening into a three-aisle vestibule.

When did the palace become the Italian Embassy?

In 1924 the Italian government purchased the property from the Thun-Hohenstein family, and it has served as Italy's diplomatic mission in Prague ever since — first representing the Kingdom of Italy, later the Italian Republic after 1946. A renovation in 1937 adapted the interiors to embassy use. The internal staircase had already been rebuilt earlier, in 1871.

Where exactly is the palace located?

The palace stands at Nerudova 20 (registration number 214) in Malá Strana, next to the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help attached to the Theatine monastery. The Romanian Embassy sits directly across the street, making this stretch of Nerudova one of the more diplomatically dense corners of Prague. The whole complex lies within the UNESCO-listed historic center of Prague.

Can visitors go inside?

Since the building is an active diplomatic mission, it is not open to the public. The facade, the eagle-flanked portal, and the overall silhouette of the palace can, however, be admired freely from the street while walking up Nerudova toward Prague Castle — it is one of the recognizable stops on that walk through Malá Strana.

Frequently asked questions

Who designed Thun-Hohenstein Palace? The main Baroque wing was designed by architect Jan Blažej Santini-Aichl, with facade sculptures by Matthias Bernard Braun.

Why does the palace have two names, Kolowrat and Thun-Hohenstein? Because it belonged to two families in succession: the Kolowrats built it, and it passed to the Thun-Hohenstein family through an 18th-century marriage, who owned it until the 1920s.

Since when has the Italian Embassy been housed here? Since 1924, when the Italian government bought the building; a 1937 renovation adapted it for diplomatic use.

What is the most striking feature of the facade? Two monumental eagles carved by Matthias Bernard Braun flanking the entrance portal, and three gabled projecting bays.

Is the interior open to visitors? No, it is an active embassy building and can only be viewed from the street on Nerudova.