Prague uncovered: Original Beethoven scores and twice-recovered artworks at Lobkowicz Palace

The typical Prague Castle tour leaves out an important building. Lobkowicz Palace is the only palace in the castle complex that is private property, and it is run separately by the non-profit organization Lobkowicz Collections, o.p.s.

Beethoven was disillusioned when Napoleon declared himself emperor, and apparently flew into a rage and damaged the original title page. While the music itself is still inspired by Bonaparte’s years as First Consul, the new dedication acknowledges the support of Beethoven’s patron.

The palace’s edition has Beethoven’s handwritten corrections and annotations. The score, printed in October 1806, is well-worn, with stained corners and edges indicating it was heavily used.

Beethoven repaid the prince by dedicating several pieces to him — the six String Quartets opus 18, the Triple Concerto, the Harp Quartet Opus 74 and the Lieder cycle An die ferne Geliebte, as well as the Symphonies No. 3, 5 and 6. The palace at Prague Castle also has original performing parts with hard-written annotations by Beethoven for Symphonies Nov. 4 and 5,

The Lobkowicz family continues to support the arts, and has a large musical library aside from the Beethoven works. A catalog was published last year, and the Lobkowicz family through its foundation provides scholarships for music research. They also support concerts at Nelahozeves.

Lobkowicz Palace played a minor role in a significant event in Bohemian history — the aftermath of the Second Defenestration of Prague, which occurred in 1618. Sometimes this is called the Third Defenestration, as scholars disagree over another unrelated incident.

The Second Defenestration itself took place at the Bohemian Chancellery, part of the Old Royal Palace. Protestant hardliners threw three representatives Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II, a Catholic, out of a window for a 20-meter drop. The three survived, and Catholic forces claimed it was a miracle due to angelic intervention.

Two of the three injured Catholic envoys took refuge at the nearby Lobkowicz Palace, where Polyxena of Lobkowicz was in residence. She was also a Catholic, with ties to Spain on her mother’s side, and a strong supporter of the Catholic cause.

A large painting on display at the palace depicts the incident a bit fancifully, with Polyxena personally standing up to an armed mob, blocking their access to the wounded Catholic envoys behind her in another room. The defenestration eventually led to the Thirty Years’ War.

Polyxena is also closely associated with the Infant of Prague, a wax-coated wooden statue of Baby Jesus, dressed in lavish robes. A copy is at Lobkowicz Palace, while the original is now at the Church of Our Lady Victorious in Malá Strana.

The statue, which came from Spain and is traditionally said to have belonged to St Teresa of Ávila, was given by Polyxena to the Carmelite order in Prague. It is now looked after by Carmelite nuns, and draws large crowds of the faithful from Spain, Portugal, and other countries.

Paintings of Polyxena and other family members can be found in the palace’s portrait gallery.

Visitors also have a chance to see several masterpiece paintings from the Lobkowicz Collections. One highlight is Velázquez’s painting of the Infanta Margarita Teresa of Spain, wearing a silver dress. It was painted in 1655 when she was 5 years old. Sadly, she died at age 22 shortly after giving birth to her fourth child. A second portrait of her as a young woman is at Nelahozeves Castle.

The Lobkowicz family maintains the oldest and largest privately-owned art collection in the Czech Republic and has the most extensive collection of Spanish portraits outside Madrid and Vienna.

While most of the paintings on display are portraits, there are a few landscapes, including one of the most valuable paintings in the Czech Republic, the 16th-century Haymaking by Pieter Bruegel the Elder.

On a lighter note, the Lobkowicz family has always been fond of dogs, and one of the palace rooms is dedicated to pictures and items related to canines. Another room has art depicting birds, some of it with real feathers. There is also a room with a collection of historical weapons, many showing very fine craftsmanship.