Former Institute of Noblewomen Opens Up to Culture and Arts

Prague - Today, a new addition to the reconstructed monuments at Prague Castle is the Institute of Noblewomen on Jiřská Street. The reconstruction lasted in several phases for 15 years and cost nearly 400 million crowns. The goal of the repairs was to restore the extensive building, which underwent significant changes especially in the 20th century, to its Baroque and Renaissance appearance.
    The palace will open to the public in the spring with the start of the tourist season. The palace, which was ceremonially opened today in the presence of President Václav Klaus, Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek, and other Czech politicians and diplomats, will serve for exhibitions and other cultural events. The president thanked everyone who participated in the long-term reconstruction of the large building in the Prague Castle complex. "Prague Castle is such a vast complex of buildings that even during a five-year presidential term it is impossible to see them all," said Klaus.
    Just a few weeks before the presidential election, which could keep him at the helm of the state for another five years, he mentioned that many renovations and restorations took place during his term in office in the Castle complex. "We tried to do less ostentatious events, with humility towards previous builders, both at Prague Castle and in Lány,” he added. According to him, the reconstruction of the Institute of Noblewomen is the most significant example.
    The center of the building is the Rosenberg Palace, which was built by the Rosenbergs after the great fire of the castle in 1541 between 1545 and 1574. In 1600, the palace was acquired by Emperor Rudolf II in exchange and was combined with the Royal Palace. In the 1720s, the palace was raised by an additional floor. In the mid-18th century, it underwent radical reconstruction into the Institute of Noblewomen under Maria Theresa.
    The vaulted hall on the ground floor of the former Rosenberg Palace was restored to its Renaissance form, having been divided into several rooms by partitions in the 18th century and fitted with lowered ceilings in the early 20th century. In several other rooms, restorers uncovered and repaired wall paintings from the 18th and 19th centuries.
    The most significant transformation during the renovation occurred in the space of the chapel of the Institute of Noblewomen. It was built in 1755 on the site of the former kitchen of the Rosenberg Palace and dedicated to the Holy Trinity and the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. Its space extended through three floors. "It had a very impressive design; the walls and ceiling were covered with wall paintings by Josef Hager and Jan Petr Molitor, which completed the interior with illusory altars and windows,” described the chapel's interior Petr Chotěbor from the castle's heritage conservation department. The Messerschmitt foundation funded the chapel's reconstruction, which had previously also contributed to the restoration of the main tower of St. Vitus Cathedral.
    After the abolition of noble titles and the dissolution of the Institute of Noblewomen from 1919 to 1990, the Ministry of the Interior operated in the building. During its time, the chapel was abolished and partitioned with ceilings. Part of the ground floor was occupied by a transformer station, and a gym was created on the first floor. New coatings covered the walls, and only the ceiling fresco remained visible.
    During the repairs, the inserted structures were removed, and the wall paintings were uncovered and restored. According to the original plans and found impressions, two galleries, or elevated structures in the church nave, were also reconstructed.