The Lobkowicz Palace is one of the most beautiful buildings of the Prague Castle complex, Czechia. The Piranesi room of the palace is one of the highlights of the place.
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It displays a remarkable collection of 18th century engravings of Rome, both ancient and modern, by the famous Italian artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-78).
Piranesi was a master of etching, a technique that involves creating images on metal plates with acid. He used this technique to create detailed and dramatic views of Rome, capturing its monuments, ruins, and streets with great skill and imagination. He published his views in different series, such as the Vedute di Roma (Views of Rome), the Antichità Romane (Roman Antiquities), and the Campo Marzio dell’antica Roma (The Campus Martius of Ancient Rome).
His views were very popular among the travelers who visited Rome as part of the Grand Tour, a cultural journey across Europe that was fashionable among the aristocracy and the upper class.
The engravings by Piranesi, covering all the walls of the room, were acquired by Ferdinand Joseph, 8th Prince Lobkowicz (1797-1868), who was a passionate collector of art and books.
He bought them during his trip to Italy in 1820, and brought them back to his palace in Prague. The engravings are arranged according to the original order of Piranesi’s series, and they offer a fascinating glimpse into the history and culture of Rome.
The Lobkowicz Palace Museum, which showcases the Lobkowicz Collections, is one of the oldest and largest private collections of art in the Czech Republic. The museum also features paintings by Canaletto, Brueghel, and Velázquez, musical instruments and manuscripts by Beethoven and Mozart, and a panoramic view of Prague from the palace terrace.
