Straka Academy, Prague, Czech Republic

The Straka Academy is the seat of the Government of the Czech Republic. It is a Neo-baroque building situated on the left bank of Vltava river. It was designed by the architect Václav Roštlapil and built between 1891 and 1896. The building originally served as a dormitory for impoverished children of the Czech nobility.

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User Reviews

George O´Harek (3 years ago)
Původně domov pro nemajetné studenty ( ovšem z panských vrstev ), přestal relativně brzy, vzhledem ke společenským změnám na zač. 20. st. vyhovovat svému účelu, a byl pak všeličím, hlavně sloužil armádě, ať už vlastní, nebo cizí. Po r. 1950 bylo rozhodnuto sem umístit vládní orgány a po vzniku ČSFR, předsednictvo federální vlády. A sídlo vlády je to dodnes. Budova je vypulírovaná a zahrada upravená. Místo bylo a je jedinečné.

Tomáš Vladyka (3 years ago)
Dnes tam bohužel vládne estébák Andrej Babiš, nemohu dít dobré hodnocení, ale jinak je to budova krásná.

George On tour (3 years ago)
view from the river

Siswanto Agus (4 years ago)
Ok

Jui Hong Teoh (5 years ago)
The view from the Parliament must have been break-talking, as you take in the entire view of the Old Town from across Vltava. There are often boat cruises that run along the Vltava past the Parliament which would have given you a closer look at the seat of power in the Czech Republic.

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Royal Palace of Naples

Royal Palace of Naples was one of the four residences near Naples used by the Bourbon Kings during their rule of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (1734-1860): the others were the palaces of Caserta, Capodimonte overlooking Naples, and the third Portici, on the slopes of Vesuvius.

Construction on the present building was begun in the 17th century by the architect Domenico Fontana. Intended to house the King Philip III of Spain on a visit never fulfilled to this part of his kingdom, instead it initially housed the Viceroy Fernando Ruiz de Castro, count of Lemos. By 1616, the facade had been completed, and by 1620, the interior was frescoed by Battistello Caracciolo, Giovanni Balducci, and Belisario Corenzio. The decoration of the Royal Chapel of Assumption was not completed until 1644 by Antonio Picchiatti.

In 1734, with the arrival of Charles III of Spain to Naples, the palace became the royal residence of the Bourbons. On the occasion of his marriage to Maria Amalia of Saxony in 1738, Francesco De Mura and Domenico Antonio Vaccaro helped remodel the interior. Further modernization took place under Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies. In 1768, on the occasion of his marriage to Maria Carolina of Austria, under the direction of Ferdinando Fuga, the great hall was rebuilt and the court theater added. During the second half of the 18th century, a 'new wing' was added, which in 1927 became the Vittorio Emanuele III National Library. By the 18th century, the royal residence was moved to Reggia of Caserta, as that inland town was more defensible from naval assault, as well as more distant from the often-rebellious populace of Naples.

During the Napoleonic occupation the palace was enriched by Joachim Murat and his wife, Caroline Bonaparte, with Neoclassic decorations and furnishings. However, a fire in 1837 damaged many rooms, and required restoration from 1838 to 1858 under the direction of Gaetano Genovese. Further additions of a Party Wing and a Belvedere were made in this period. At the corner of the palace with San Carlo Theatre, a new facade was created that obscured the viceroyal palace of Pedro de Toledo.

In 1922, it was decided to transfer here the contents of the National Library. The transfer of library collections was made by 1925.

The library suffered from bombing during World War II and the subsequent military occupation of the building caused serious damage. Today, the palace and adjacent grounds house the famous Teatro San Carlo, the smaller Teatrino di Corte (recently restored), the Biblioteca Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele III, a museum, and offices, including those of the regional tourist board.

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