Žofín Palace
Žofín Palace | |
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Palác Žofín | |
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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°ECoordinates: 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 Vltava river in New Town, Prague.
(Slavonic Island), an island in theHistory[]
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[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/Praha%2C_Nov%C3%A9_M%C4%9Bsto%2C_rozvodn%C4%9Bn%C3%A1_Vltava_a_%C5%BDof%C3%ADn.jpg/220px-Praha%2C_Nov%C3%A9_M%C4%9Bsto%2C_rozvodn%C4%9Bn%C3%A1_Vltava_a_%C5%BDof%C3%ADn.jpg)
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[]
- ^ a b c d Žofín Palace Official site of Žofín Palace, accessed 4 December 2016.
- ^ a b c Žofín Palace Official tourist site for Prague, accessed 4 December 2016.
- ^ Zofin Prague.net, accessed 4 December 2016.
- ^ a b Slovansky Island Welcome to Prague, accessed 4 December 2016.
- Palaces in Prague
- Music venues in Prague
- Convention centers in the Czech Republic
- Cultural infrastructure completed in 1837