František Maxmilián Kaňka is one of the most significant builders of Czech Baroque

Prague – The unique Baroque Vrtbovská Garden in the center of Prague, as well as the Clementinum and the Carolinum on the other side of the Vltava River, are among the most famous buildings shaped by the renowned Baroque architect and builder František Maxmilián Kaňka, whose 350th birth anniversary will be celebrated on August 19. Kaňka, along with Jan Blažej Santini-Aichel, Kryštof Dientzenhofer, his son Kilián Ignác, and Giovanni Battista Alliprandi, is considered one of the most significant builders of High Baroque in the territory of Bohemia. He was the most sought-after architect for prominent noble families and is signed under a multitude of buildings not only in Prague.

Kaňka was born on August 19, 1674, in Prague's Old Town and received an excellent education for his time, including language skills. He began his career in the workshop of his father, then apprenticed with the Prague builder Pavel Ignác Bayer, and after a journeyman's journey, likely to Italy and Vienna, he began collaborating with Alliprandi, Santini, and the younger Dientzenhofer.

Since he primarily focused on design but didn’t oversee the construction of his buildings, he accomplished a lot in his career. Thanks to his friendly relationships with the most notable nobles of his time, he received prestigious commissions and also high fees. He also worked for the church. He became essentially a fashionable builder who could choose his projects.

He worked or collaborated mainly on renovations and reconstructions of properties, for example, for the Černí family (Černín Palace, Vinoř, chapel in Vienna), the Waldstein family (Loučeň), the Kinský family (Karlova Koruna), the Trauttmansdorff family (Jemniště, riding hall in Litomyšl), and the Lords of Vrtba (Konopiště, Vrtbovská Garden). His signature can also be found on many grand noble palaces in Malá Strana and Hradčany. He worked for religious orders on projects such as the Clementinum, Zbraslav Monastery, and the Piarist Church of the Finding of the Holy Cross in Litomyšl.

Thanks to his artistry, hard work, and also good relationships with influential and wealthy people of his time, Kaňka became a significant and wealthy Prague burgher who operated a brewery in Dlouhá Street. Among his frequent collaborators and friends was Matyáš Bernard Braun, who as a sculptor contributed to nearly two dozen of his buildings. Their joint works include, for example, the Vrtbovská Garden, as well as the monument to Emperor Charles VI, which stands near Hlavenez in Central Bohemia.

Monument to Emperor Charles VI, Hlavenez (1723-24) photo: Heritage Catalog NPÚ