In 1902, Josef Kreml, The most successful Litomyšl builder during the period before the First World War, built his own “showpiece” villa according to his own design on the border between the town and the village Benátky. The building with its Renaissance, so-called suburban villa character – “villa suburban” – was unique for its time in Litomyšl and was undoubtedly designed to reflect the owner's personality. However, it was above all a reflection of his profession and the prestige of the company itself which had secured significant private and public contracts (among others, the construction of Smetana House – 02-402).
In the spirit of traditional 19th century villa architecture, which perceived houses set in the middle of gardens as being the most hygienic, the designer situated the villa in the centre of extensive parkland. The symmetrical facade with two avant-corps is dominated by a portico, accessible via a wide stairway, whose roof serves as a terrace. The smooth facade, devoid of any decoration, was topped at the level of the avant-corps with an attic balustrade, designed to hide the building's pitched roof from sight. The layout of the main facade is reminiscent of Italian Renaissance villas, a favoured style of architects who had adopted it in their designs from the 19th century as it suited the modern life-style of the time – which was otherwise referred to as the Italian dream.
As was customary, Kreml designed the building as a two-storey building with a ground-floor area for the public (a representative stair hall, saloon, dining room, living room and study) and with intimate premises on the first floor. The utmost interconnection with the garden was achieved through the fore-mentioned portico and terrace.
After the death of Josef Kreml in 1928, Eduard Pfeifer bought the land with the villa and outbuildings. In 1951, the villa was nationalized and became the headquarters of the secret police (STB) and subsequently of the District Military Administration. In the 1960s, it became home to a school for children with learning difficulties, which resulted in marked changes to the interiors and a loss of the original prized features. After the November 1989 revolution, the villa was vacant and continued to deteriorate.
The villa was acquired by a new owner in 2008. Subsequently, the building was subjected to an extensive renovation process and was adapted to serve as a health and wellness centre named “Villa Grácie”. The aim of the investor was to restore as many original interior and exterior features of the building as possible (e.g. the stucco work, historical tiled stove, stonework on the facade, etc.) but also to carry out landscaping work in the park. In 2009, the villa was opened to the public, but further construction phases followed in subsequent years (e.g. reconstruction of the basement in 2014).
