Italian Echoes in Iconic Czech Architecture

We have reached the beginning of the 18th century, when a figure destined to play a significant role in the Czech architectural landscape appeared in Bohemia: Jan Blažej Santini-Aichel.

To admire one of his first works, you only need to travel a little outside of Prague, about fourteen kilometers from the city center. There, you can visit the small Chapel of Saint Anna, built around 1705.

This small masterpiece certainly draws inspiration from the works of Borromini (Church of Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, Rome, 1642) as well as Guarino Guarini (Chapel of the Shroud, Turin, 1668).

The church of Rychnov nad Kněžnou was commissioned by Norbert Leopold Libštejn of Kolovrat, for whom Santini was also designing the family palace, now home to the Italian Embassy, ​​in the Malá Strana district of Prague.

The palace now overlooks what is today Nerudova Street, a unique architectural complex. The rear section of this complex includes the elegant sixteenth-century Palace of the Lords of Hradec, later known as "Slavata."

In the village of Kuks, a few kilometers from Hradec Králové, Count Špork, with the assistance of architect Alliprandi, created a unique complex.

It all began toward the end of the 17th century, when the healing properties of the local thermal springs were confirmed. The count then commissioned the construction of a castle and a thermal building, aligned with the springs.

In a later phase, on the opposite bank of the Elbe River, an imposing hospital was constructed, with an octagonal church dedicated to the Holy Trinity at its center. The original castle, constructed in 1710, no longer exists.

The construction of the hospital began in 1707 under Giovanni Battista Alliprandi, achieving perfect harmony between architecture and the surrounding environment. The original complex, spanning both banks of the Elbe River, was considered unique in the European context.

Santini's mature work represents, perhaps, the epilogue of "Italian" architecture in the Czech lands, while also marking definitive departure from the models originating in the Italian Peninsula.

The construction of the complex dedicated to Saint John of Nepomuk begun in 1720, and is perhaps the best representation of the Italian influence on Czech architecture. Santini manages to merge the Baroque models of Borromini and Guarini with his own unique architectural language.