Prague - Sternberk Palace

(Local Name: Sternbersky Palac) The Sternberk Palace (Sternbersky palác) was built for Count Václav Vojtech of Šternberk and Klára of Maltzan. The Baroque palace was constructed in the late 17th Century. In the early 19th century the building was acquired by Society of Patriotic Friends of Art, at which time it was renovated extensively. The building exchanged hands and was used for other purposes until it fell to the National Gallery after the Second World War.

The Sternberk Palace is now considered to be the center piece of the National Gallery, housing some of its most famous artworks. The gallery's banner is "European Art from the Classical Era to the close of the Baroque period. On display are ancient Greek and Roman pieces, and 14th to 16th Century Italian masterpieces from the Konopište Castle collection. On the second floor is where visitors will find some of the main highlights of the gallery, with 16th to 18th Century paintings by such artists as Tintoretto, Ribera, Tiepolo, El Greco, Goya, Rubens, van Dyck, Rembrandt, Hals, Terborch, Ruysdale and van Goyen.

16th to 18th Century German and Austrian art is located on the ground floor. There are also drawings, sketches, crafts, and other artworks housed at the Sternberk Palace.