Archbishop’s Palace in Olomouc
The Baroque bishopric, later archbishopric palace from the 17th century witnessed many a historical event. In 1805, prior to the battle of Austerlitz, the Russian tsar Alexander and Austrian emperor Franz consulted in the representative halls with rich artistic adornment. During the revolutionary events of 1848 the emperor’s court sojourned in the palace and after the abdication of Ferdinand V his nephew Franz Joseph I, the longest ruling monarch in Czech history, was proclaimed emperor of Austria in the Coronation hall. Pope John Paul II also visited the palace in 1995 on the occasion of the canonisation of St. Jan Sarkander.
One of the first works of art you will see in the Archbishop’s palace is the statue of St. Cyril and Methodius on the entry staircase. It was probably made around 1840 in Rome, originally it was located in the basilica in Velehrad and moved to the archbishop’s residence more than a hundred years ago.
