Grand Prior's Palace Prague

One of the most striking buildings among the palaces in Prague's Lesser Town is undoubtedly the Grand Priory Palace, located on the corner of Lázeňská Street and Velkopřevorské Square, close to the Church of Our Lady beneath the Chain. The Johannite complex in this location was established in the mid-12th century during the reign of King Vladislav I. After the founding of Prague's Lesser Town, it was a complex surrounded by a moat and defining a special legal area (known as ‘side law’). It played an important role in the life of medieval Prague – among other things, the remains of Emperor Charles IV were exhibited here in 1378, and in 1393, Wenceslas IV captured John of Pomuk here. At the very beginning of the Hussite Wars, the people of Prague conquered and plundered the Johannite complex, so that for more than 250 years, the grand priors resided in Strakonice. The reconstruction of the destroyed Grand Priory took a very long time and was gradually influenced by the Renaissance and, in particular, the Baroque, which united the previously separate buildings of the Priory and Grand Priory. The most significant reconstruction took place in the 1720s according to the plans of the Milanese architect Bartolomeo Scotti. It gave the palace its current characteristic appearance of a four-winged building with a central courtyard decorated with a dominant portal and distinctive roof dormers. The interior was also designed in the Baroque style, which remained unchanged until the mid-20th century thanks to the continuity of the Johannite ownership. After nationalisation, several institutions were based here (the Oriental Institute of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, the music department of the National Museum), and the adjacent garden began to be used for musical and theatrical productions. In 1991, the palace and convent were returned to the Knights of St John (officially known as the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem, Rhodes and Malta), who also established their diplomatic representation here.