Residence of Würzburg

The Résidence of Würzburg is a construction of style Baroque in the center of the town of Würzburg, chief town of the Low-Franconie (Bavaria, Germany). It was occupied by the prince-bishops. The castle counts among the most beautiful achievements of the late baroque of Germany of the South and can be considered, by its importance in European architecture, as well as the palate of Schönbrunn to Vienna or that of Versailles. UNESCO raised the building in 1981 under World heritage of humanity.

Importance

Extract of the text of the evaluation of the advisory organizations of UNESCO:

“the inscription of the Residence of Würzburg on the list of the World heritage constitutes a measure so obviously desirable that the proposal of the Federal Republic of Germany does not have to be lengthily justified.

Built essentially of 1720 to 1744, decorated internally with 1740 to 1770, equipped with splendid gardens of 1765 to 1780, the Residence is at the same time most homogeneous and most extraordinary of the palates baroques.

It testifies to the ostentation of two successive prince-bishops, Johann Philipp Franz and Friedrich Karl von Schönborn and, like such, answers criterion IV perfectly by illustrating the significant historical situation of one of most brilliant the courses of Europe of the 18th century.

It represents a single artistic realization, by the ambition of the program, the originality of the party and the international character of the building site. ”

Construction

The construction of the Residence of Würzburg begins during the reign from the prince-bishop Johann Philipp Franz von Schönborn in 1720. This one dies four years later without to have resided there. Work will be completed in 1744 pennies his/her brother, the prince-bishop Friedrich Carl von Schönborn. Interior decoration is finished in 1770 pennies Carl Philipp von Greiffenlau.

Work is entrusted to Balthasar Neumann, then 33 years old. The first stone is posed on May 22nd, 1720. One starts initially with the northern wing. Balthasar Neumann goes then to France to improve there its Article It consults Robert de Cotte (1656-1735) and Germain Boffrand. With died of Johann Philipp Franz von Schönborn (1724), " haï by its peuple" , after the election of Christoph Franz von Hutten, adversary of the Schönborn, work is stopped.

In 1729, Schönborn return to the capacity in the person of Friedrich Carl von Schönborn which orders the resumption of work, always under the direction of Neumann, by the southern wing then the frontage. The large staircase is completed in 1739. Interior decoration was entrusted to Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (ceilings of the staircase, the imperial room and the vault), Antonio Bossi (stuccos, in particular of the clean room) and Johannes Zick (oval room giving on the garden).

Structure

The plan is rectangular with a main courtyard open on the city. The rooms of pageantry is in the center of the building, the wings north and south being reserved for the apartments.

The large staircase

The large main staircase, masterpiece of Balthasar Neumann, is one of most remarkable creations of civil architecture which is.

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo creates its immense fresco in 1752-53. It is about largest the Fresque realized of only one holding (30x18 m). It represents the homage of the four continents then known to the prince-bishop Carl Philipp von Greiffenlau.

The allegorical figures inspired of mythology which decorate the balustrade were carved by Johann Peter Wagner in 1771-76.

The clean room

It is the transition, or rather the caesura, between the large staircase and the imperial room, both sumptuously decorated. The stucco work, of style Rococo, Antionio Bossi cuts out in white on a gray bottom clearly. It results a surprisingly rich range from it from tons gray and white of various gradations

The imperial room

Of oval form, it is of rigor in the castles of the Prince-voters in the catholic areas of Germany. Its decoration is attached to a typically Germanic iconographic type. Y worked three genious artists: the architect Balthasar Neumann, the fresquist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo and the Stucco ator Antiono Bossi.

Random links: