Letohrádek Hvězda (, translating into English as "Star Villa" or "Star Summer Palace") is a

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

villa in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

. It is situated in the game reserve of the same name in the Liboc district of Prague 6, about west of Prague city centre.

History

The surrounding game reserve was founded in 1530 by King Ferdinand I. Twenty-five years later he commissioned his younger son Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria, to build the villa. The foundations were laid on 27 June 1555 by the Archduke alone, and construction of the villa was completed three years later. The villa is shaped as a six-pointed star, from which it and the game reserve acquire their shared name.

Present

Since 1962, the area (which comprises the game reserve with the villa and the battlefield of the

Battle of White Mountain The Battle of White Mountain (; ) was an important battle in the early stages of the Thirty Years' War. It led to the defeat of the Bohemian Revolt and ensured Habsburg control for the next three hundred years. It was fought on 8 November 16 ...

, which took place nearby) has been protected as one national cultural monument. In the basement of the publicly accessible villa there is a model of the Battle on White Mountain. Various cultural and social events, exhibitions and concerts are organized in the villa.

References

External links

Memorial of National Literature – Hvězda Summer PalaceSatellite Image of Hvězda
{{DEFAULTSORT:Letohradek Hvezda Buildings and structures in Prague Renaissance architecture in the Czech Republic Tourist attractions in Prague National cultural monuments of the Czech Republic 1556 establishments in the Habsburg monarchy