Žofín Palace
Žofín Palace | |
---|---|
Palác Žofín | |
General information | |
Architectural style | Neo-Renaissance |
Location | Slavonic Island |
Town or city | Prague |
Country | Czech Republic |
Coordinates | 50°4′44″N 14°24′46″E / 50.07889°N 14.41278°E |
Opened | 1837 |
Renovated | 1884 |
Website | |
http://www.zofin.cz/en/palac-zofin/ |
Žofín Palace (Czech pronunciation: [ˈʒofiːn]) is a Neo-Renaissance building in Prague, in the Czech Republic. It is a cultural centre, a venue for concerts, balls, conferences and exhibitions.
It is situated on Slovanský ostrov (Slavonic Island), an island in the Vltava river in New Town, Prague.
History
[edit]The island in the Vltava river was formed in the 18th century. Damaged by floods in 1784, it was protected with a wall and planted with trees. In 1830, the island, then known as Barvířský ostrov (Dyer's Island), was bought by Václav Novotný, a miller. He created a Neo-Renaissance building here in 1836–1837; it was named after Princess Sophie (Žofie in Czech), mother of Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I. The single-storey building had a concert hall and social hall, and was opened in 1837 with a ball.[1][2][3][4]
The Prague Slavic Congress was held here in 1848. In 1925, to commemorate the event, the island was renamed Slovanský ostrov.[1][4]
In 1884 the City of Prague bought the island, including the palace which was rebuilt as a two-storey building. The exterior and interior were renovated in 1991–1994.[1][2]
Since 2005, it is the annual venue for Forum 2000.
Musical performances
[edit]Antonín Dvořák held his first concert here in 1878. Berlioz, Liszt, Tchaikovsky and Wagner appeared in concerts in the palace. Má vlast, a set of six symphonic poems by Bedřich Smetana, was first performed in its entirety in Žofín Palace on 5 November 1882.[1][2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d History of the Slavonic island Official site of Žofín Palace. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ a b c Žofín Palace Official tourist site for Prague. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ Zofin Prague.net. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ a b Slovansky Island Welcome to Prague. Retrieved 27 May 2023.