In the late 18th century it would still have been well outside the walls of the city, beneath the vineyards on the slopes of Černý vrch (Black Hill).

The present villa was constructed around 1700 and consists of a large home with two-winged staircase and several outbuildings, all surrounded, as now, by a wall.

Following František’s death the property changed hands several times until, in 1838 it was purchased by Lambert Popelka who was a great admirer of Mozart.

In 1887 he organized a memorial gathering, at which Antonín Dvořák was present, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first performance of Don Giovanni.

After more changing of hands it received a state grant in 1929 and became part of the Mozart Society in the Czech Republic.

She was not only an outstanding musical talent, but also a gifted and warm-hearted host who entertained many famous people at her home.

František Dušek (who spelt his name in German "Duschek") was a highly regarded musician, and her marriage to him gave Josefa social status beyond that which would have been possible through her stage performances alone.

Despite this opera having been a huge success at its first performance in Vienna in April 1786 the Viennese were already tiring of Mozart and turning their attention to other composers such as Antonio Salieri.

Even the customs officer on duty at the New Gate asked, on examining Mozart’s passport, whether he was the composer of Figaro.

According to Georg Nikolaus von Nissen he would stand up when it was his turn to play, and no sooner had he taken his throw than he would sit down and carry on working at his score.

Mozart very probably stayed at Bertramka during his third prolonged visit to Prague in the summer of 1791 when the city was celebrating the coronation of Leopold Joseph II as king of Bohemia.

Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito was part of the celebrations, although neither he nor the opera were even mentioned by name in the official coronation brochure.

The museum was closed on November 1, 2009, after then President of the Mozart Society Jitka Snížková was pressured into donating the villa to the state.

After 14 years of legal battle with the city hall of Prague 5, represented by highly controversial mayor Milan Jančík and with influential private society Comenius run by former communist secret police agent Karel Muzikář which rented Bertramka, the courts ruled in favour of Mozart's Society and ordered the restitution of the property.

With a help from numerous people and most notably fellow Mozart's Societies from abroad, Bertramka opened again on July 6, 2010, for a daily operation from 10 am to 6 pm.