May 24

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Nymphenburg Palace – the royal summer resort

By Frank

May 24, 2020


With its simple elegance, Nymphenburg Palace is one of the most beautiful palaces in Europe . It unfolds its special charm in every season. The oldest part of the extensive complex is the central wing, a five-storey cube building built in 1664 by Agostini Barelli based on the Italian model.

Only the son Max Emanuel , under the supervision of Enrico Zuccali , turned it into a spacious palace with large arched windows, side wings, an artificial watercourse and a strict French park. Here you could now hold court befitting your status and celebrate lavish court festivals.



Antonio Viscardi was the third architect to work in Nymphenburg at the beginning of the 18th century; Today's appearance is mainly due to Joseph Effner , who laid out the canals and the roundabout . Models for the original baroque garden were the French gardens of Vaux-le-Vicomte Palace and Versailles Palace .



Aha! Cool ...

For ten years , Ferdinand Maria of Bavaria and Henriette Adelaide of Savoy had to wait for a successor until the heir to the throne, Max Emanuel , was born to them in 1662. The elector was so happy that he gave his wife not just one, but three court stamps.

What today is a holiday home in the mountains or by the lake was the summer residence of the baroque princes. The founding of Nymphenburg Palace as a summer residence is due to the birth of the long-awaited heir to the throne, Max Emanuel , who was given to the Bavarian Electors Ferdinand Maria and Henriette Adelaide von Savoy in 1662 after ten years of marriage.

While the residence in the city center stands more for power and government , the summer residence in Nymphenburg was the cumulative point of the ruling family for generations. From May to September , the Wittelsbach family and their household were drawn out to this palace, which at the time was still far from the city gates . Every generation has left its mark here through conversions or extensions.

Thanks to its royal history, Nymphenburg is also one of the greenest districts in the city : the palace park alone has 180 hectares, so that there is enough space for free running despite the large number of visitors. The park sees itself as a kind of alternative to the English Garden. The botanical garden with its exotic plants also belongs to Nymphenburg, as does the deer garden.



Unbelievable

Badenburg


Badenburg- a baroque state bath...

A baroque ceremonial bath with Italian and Turkish roots. In 1718, after his return from Italy, court architect Josepf Effner began building the Badenburg . With a length of 870 cm , a width of 610 cm and a water depth of 145 centimeters , it is certainly the largest princely indoor pool in the European baroque world around 1700. Joseph Effner created the first heated indoor pool of modern times , which fascinates with its rich decor.

Only the Islamic culture has further cultivated the old bathing tradition of the Romans and is probably one of the triggers for the construction of the Badenburg. Elector Max Emanuel must have been familiar with this bathing culture since his campaigns in the imperial army against the Ottomans . Interesting - while the Elector was taking his running baths downstairs , he probably got a little bored, so his court was responsible for his entertainment upstairs in the gallery.

Today, the Badenburg is idyllically situated on the large lake in the Nymphenburg Park.



What is there to see?

The beauty of the castle is revealed above all from the interplay of architecture and water . The front of the building, almost half a kilometer wide, presents itself in all its majesty - seldom is absolutist power more impressively displayed than here. The 1,500 meter long palace canal visually leads to the central building and widens in front of it to form a water basin with a fountain in which the palace is reflected.

At that time, even a gondola was procured, with which the noble company traveled up and down the canal . Even today, gondolier rides are offered on special occasions.

The artful combination of formal garden and landscape park is considered a masterpiece of garden art and makes the entire complex of palace and park a popular attraction.


The beauty of the castle is revealed above all from the interplay of architecture and water . The front of the building, almost half a kilometer wide, presents itself in all its majesty - seldom is absolutist power more impressively displayed than here. The 1,500 meter long palace canal visually leads to the central building and widens in front of it to form a water basin with a fountain in which the palace is reflected.

Gondola in the Nymphenburg Palace Gardens

At that time, even a gondola was procured, with which the noble company traveled up and down the canal . Even today, gondolier rides are offered on special occasions .

The artful combination of formal garden and landscape park is considered a masterpiece of garden art and makes the entire complex of palace and park a popular attraction (approx. 300,000 visitors per year ).



Pagodenburg - Tea time in the Nymphenburg Palace Park

Elector Max Emanuel had the Pagodenburg built as a two-story tea pavilion . It was used for exclusive celebrations in a relaxed atmosphere and is one of the outstanding examples of European Chinese fashion . As already mentioned, its purpose is to refresh and change the clothes of the princely guests after the mail game , a French ball game popular at the time, similar to golf, which takes place behind the Pagodenburg. The baroque garden plan shows this Mailbahn, which is several hundred meters long , in a northerly direction.

From the outside, the Pagodenburg appears as a classic baroque building without any hint of the Far East. Different inside. Here the references to China are unmistakable, especially in the apartment rooms on the upper floor . An exotic character is already indicated on the ground floor with the " Delft tiles ", the faience plates from Rotterdam . Their blue paintings on a white background are imitated by Chinese imported porcelain.

The Pagodenburg is, as indicated by the purpose described at the beginning and its relation to the garden of the Nymphenburg, a garden pleasure house . In French, the garden pleasure house is called " pavillon" or "folie ", sometimes also " pavillon de plaisance ", but never "maison de plaisance".



Amalienburg - high balcony for the courtly hunts

Amalienburg

Every castle complex needs a pleasure and hunting lodge . The Amalienburg is one of the most precious creations of European rococo . Floor plan, exterior and room sequence form a total work of art of exquisite beauty. The small pleasure and hunting lodge was a gift from Elector Karl Albrecht to his wife Maria Amalia , a daughter of the Austrian Emperor Joseph I.

The balcony, which is almost five meters in diameter and placed on the otherwise sloping roof of the pleasure palace not far from the Nymphenburg main palace, was never intended as a sun terrace or even for outdoor meals - but solely for pheasant hunting . In 1734, the Wittelsbacher had the Amalienburg hunting lodge built for the Habsburg woman in the Nymphenburg Park, with an extra dog room and weapon cabinets , which were also kept in the courtly Rococo style, as well as a large hall of mirrors for parties , hunting rooms, ceremonial kitchens and other knick-knacks.



Around 300,000 visitors visit the magnificent summer residence every year,

and the extensive park with its picturesque castles and water features

is one of the most valuable local recreation areas in the city.




Schloss Nymphenburg

Schloß Nymphenburg 1

80638 Munich


About the author

It is more valuable to experience a place in detail than many small impressions of an incomprehensible whole.

Genius Loci - discovering, capturing and experiencing the spirit of a place. Perceive - understand - enjoy!

As a graduate industrial engineer with an additional MBA degree from a renowned university in England (EMBA, EQUIS and AACSB accredited), I have been showing other, often surprising, paths to success for more than 30 years at C-Level (Head of Marketing and Sales worldwide).

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