The Archbishop's Palace in Olomouc will be accessible to the public

Olomouc - The Archbishop's Palace in Olomouc will be open to the public from the end of April. Visitors will be able to see the places where significant events in the history of the Czech state and Austria-Hungary took place. The accessibility of the official residence of the sitting bishop is unparalleled in Central Europe, spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Olomouc Jiří Gračka announced today.
    A single tour route is prepared for the public. It includes the representative halls of the palace on the first floor, as well as a room for temporary exhibitions. The interiors of the halls feature preserved rich Rococo, Empire, and Neo-Baroque decorations and are furnished with period furniture.
    "These rooms are linked to the most significant events that took place in the building. The most famous and important date is undoubtedly December 2, 1848, when Emperor Franz Joseph I took power here," Gračka stated. The palace was also visited by Empress Maria Theresa and composer Ludwig van Beethoven; it was the site of a meeting between Austrian Emperor Franz and Russian Tsar Alexander before the Battle of Austerlitz. All democratic presidents of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic—Masaryk, Beneš, Havel, and Klaus—also passed through the palace. In 1995, Pope John Paul II visited the palace.
    In the past two years, the renovation of the interiors of the halls and the entire palace has been carried out. The public can view the spaces for the first time on April 30. From May to September, the palace will be open daily except Mondays, and in October on weekends.
    The present-day Baroque Archbishop's Palace was built near the site where the first bishop's house stood at the time of the founding of the Olomouc diocese in the mid-11th century. The original Renaissance palace was significantly expanded between 1664 and 1669, becoming a monumental Early Baroque palace dominating the eastern part of the city. The project was developed and construction was managed by imperial architects Filiberto Luchese and Giovanni Pietro Tencalla.