Nymphenburg Palace

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The Nymphenburg Palace (German: Schloss Nymphenburg) is a Baroque palace in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. The palace was the summer residence of the rulers of Bavaria.

Contents 1 History 2 The Palace 3 The Park 4 Public Transport 5 Miscellaneous 6 Images 7 External links

[edit] History

The palace was commissioned by the electoral couple Ferdinand Maria and Henriette Adelaide of Savoy to Agostino Barelli in 1664 after the birth of their son Maximilian II Emanuel. The center pavilion was completed in 1675.

Starting in 1701, the heir to the sovereign duchy of Bavaria, Max Emanuel, conducted a systematic extension of the palace. Two pavilions were added each in the south and north of Barelli's palace by Enrico Zucalli and Giovanni Antonio Viscardi. Later, the south section of the palace was further extended to form the court stables. As a balance, the orangerie was added to the north. Finally, a grand circle with baroque mansions (the Schlossrondell) was erected under Max Emanuel's son Holy Roman Emperor Charles VII Albert.

Joseph Effner redesigned the facade of the center pavilion in French baroque style with pilasters in 1716. In 1826 Leo von Klenze removed its gables with the electoral coat of arms and created an attic decoration directly under the roof instead.

With the treaty of Nymphenburg concluded in July 1741, Charles Albert allied with France and Spain against Austria. For a long time, the palace was the summer residence of the rulers of Bavaria. King Max I Joseph died there in 1825, and his great-grandson King Ludwig II was born there in 1845.

Today, Nymphenburg is open to the public, but also continues to be a home and chancery for the head of the house of Wittelsbach, currently HRH Franz, Duke of Bavaria.

[edit] The Palace

The palace, together with its park, is now one of the most famous sights of Munich. The Steinerner Saal (Stone Hall), with ceiling frescoes by Johann Baptist Zimmermann and F. Zimmermann and decorations by François de Cuvilliés, is an impressive site. Acting as a grand hall, it occupies over three floors of the central pavilion of the palace.

Some rooms still show their original baroque decoration while others were later redesigned in rococo or neoclassical style. The former small dining room in the south pavilion today houses the Gallery of Beauties of King Ludwig I of Bavaria. The same pavilion houses the birthroom of King Ludwig II of Bavaria.

The court stables contain one of the most important museums of ancient carriages (Marstallmuseum). They also played a part in historical events - the Paris Coronation Coach for example was used for the coronation of Emperor Charles VII in 1742. Among the main attractions of the museum are the magnificent carriages and sleighs of King Ludwig II.

The first floor of the former court stables houses a collection of Nymphenburg porcelain, the factory which, also located in the palace complex, was founded by Maximilian III Joseph.

[edit] The Park

The 200 acre (800,000 m²) park, once an Italian garden (1671), which was enlarged and rearranged in French style by Dominique Girard, a pupil of Le Notre, was finally redone in the English manner in early 19th century by Friedrich Ludwig von Sckell. He preserved the main elements of the Baroque garden (such as the grand parterre). The park bisected by a long canal along the principle axis which leads from the palace to the marble cascade (decorated with stone figures of Greek gods) in the west. Two lakes are situated on both sides of the canal. The "Dörfchen" was created under Maximilian III Joseph as Petit hameau. The "Salettl" (1799), a cottage with its little garden nearby close to the former menagerie served as attraction for the children of Maximilian IV Joseph.

Within the park, a number of pavilions were built:

• the Pagodenburg (1716-1719) - an octagonal, two story pavilion with Delft tile decoration downstairs and Chinoiserie upstairs. It was built by Joseph Effner.
• the Badenburg (1719-1721) - a baroque pavilion also by Joseph Effner, contains a grand banqueting hall and a very large tiled bath. Some rooms are decorated with various Chinese wallpapers.
• the Magdalenenklause - a faux ruin for retreat and meditation, erected between 1725 and 1728.
• the Amalienburg - a rococo hunting lodge constructed in 1734-1739 by François de Cuvilliés for Charles VII and his wife, Maria Amalia, including a hall of mirrors and a kennel room for the hunting dogs. The building with its decoration is a masterpiece of European rococo.
• the Monopteros - a neoclassical temple by Leo von Klenze, erected in 1862-1865

A passage close to the old arboretum in the north of the Grand Parterre leads to the large Botanical Garden of Munich.

[edit] Public Transport

It is possible to visit the palace by taking the tram number 17 towards Amalienburgstraße. This line passes through the city centre, including Stachus and the main train station. It takes approximately 20 minutes to get from the city center to the palace by tram.

[edit] Miscellaneous

The palace and its park were some of the main filming locations of Alain Resnais' 1961 movie Last Year at Marienbad. The Dressage Facility for the equestrian events of the 1972 Summer Olympics was created in the Nymphenburg park.

[edit] Images

Main approach	Front view	Front view	The Chinese Cabinet with chinoiserie, one of the rooms of Nymphenburg Palace
View from the Seaside, painting by Josef Wenglein, 1883	Monopteros	View toward Monopteros	Badenburg, royal bathing house
Badenburg, royal bathing house	Badenburg, royal bathing house	Pagodenburg, royal teahouse	Magdalenenklause, royal hermitage

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 48.158056° N 11.503611° E

• Nymphenburg Palace
• 360° Panorama Nymphenburg Palace