Friedrich Karl von Schönborn
Who was the owner of Würzburg Residence from 1729 to 1746?
Würzburg Residence The Würzburg Residence ( German : Würzburger Residenz ) is a palace in Würzburg , Germany . Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt and Maximilian von Welsch , representatives of the Austrian/South German Baroque style , were involved in the construction , as well as Robert de Cotte and Germain Boffrand , who were followers of the French Style . Balthasar Neumann , court architect of the Bishop of Würzburg , was the principal architect of the Residence , which was commissioned by the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg Johann Philipp Franz von Schönborn and his brother Friedrich Carl von Schönborn in 1720 , and completed in 1744 . The Venetian painter Giovanni Battista Tiepolo , assisted by his son , Domenico , painted frescoes in the building . Interiors considered masterworks of Baroque/Rococo or Neoclassical architecture and art include the grand staircase , the chapel , and the Imperial Hall . The building was reportedly called the largest parsonage in Europe by Napoleon . It was heavily damaged by Allied bombing during World War II , and restoration has been in progress since 1945 . Since 1981 , the Residence has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site . History . 18th century . The Prince-Bishops of Würzburg resided in the Marienberg Fortress on a hill west of the Main river until the early 18th century . Johann Philipp Franz von Schönborn ( 1719–24 ) moved the court to a palace erected in 1701–4 , the predecessor of the Residence . However , the rather small palace did not , in his opinion , measure up to his position as an absolute monarch - he was looking for something comparable to the Palace of Versailles or Schönbrunn Palace . Having won a sum of 600,000 fl . ( a fortune at the time ) in a court case in the year of his accession , he used the funds to undertake a building project that would proclaim his political standing to all . In this , he was eagerly supported by two relatives , his uncle the Archbishop of Mainz and Elector of Mainz , Lothar Franz von Schönborn ( who confessed to have been possessed by a Bauwurm , a building bug ) and his brother Friedrich Carl von Schönborn , from 1704 to 1734 Imperial Vice-Chancellor in Vienna . Both supplied ideas and , crucially , artists from their circles . Friedrich Carl had met Hildebrandt in Vienna during the construction of the Belvedere . The foundation stone was laid on 22 May 1720 . The construction started with the north block . However , Johann Phillip Franz successor , Prince-Bishop Christoph Franz von Hutten ( 1724-9 ) had no great interest in building such an enormous palace . He only wanted the northern block to be finished . This construction was concluded in the year of his death . All other works ceased . In the year 1730 , however , under Prince-Bishop Friedrich Carl von Schönborn ( 1729–46 ) , work on the south block began once more . In 1732-3 , the front of the Cour dhonneur was completed . From 1735 onwards , the work on the central building took place with the participation of Lucas von Hildebrandt . In 1737 , the main staircase by Balthasar Neumann was constructed . The garden front was completed in 1740 and the whole shell in December 1744 . Neumann was mostly responsible for the Residences town front , while Hildebrandts work dominated on the garden side . The four interior courts of the side wings were an idea of von Welsch . The completion of the vaulted ceilings over the Emperors Hall and the White Hall took place in 1742 ; the vault over the staircase in 1743 . At the same time , the decorations of the Court Chapel were realized and its consecration performed in 1743 . From 1740-5 , the southern Kaiserzimmer ( Imperial Apartments ) and the Mirror Cabinet ( Spiegelkabinett ) were decorated by ornamental carver Ferdinand Hundt , by Johann Wolfgang van der Auvera , and Johann Rudolf Byss . Bossi also created the stucco-work in the White Hall during the years 1744-5 . Under the rule of Prince-Bishop Anselm Franz von Ingelheim ( 1746-9 ) , all building work on the Residence ceased once again . After his death , once Karl Philipp von Greifenclau zu Vollraths ( 1749–54 ) became Prince-Bishop , he ordered a resumption of construction . In the same year , Antonio Bossi completed the stucco-work in the Garden Hall , the painting of which was finished in the next year . In 1750 , Lorenz Jakob Mehling , a merchant at Venice , sent Giovanni Battista Tiepolo to the bishopric residence , after the painter Giuseppe Visconti had failed . Giovanni Battista Tiepolo , assisted by his sons , decorated the Imperial Hall and the ceiling above the staircase with frescoes in the early 1750s . In 1753 , Balthasar Neumann died . Under Prince-Bishop Adam Friedrich von Seinsheim ( 1755–79 ) , and Ludovico Bossi created the stucco-work decoration over the staircase and in the first and second guest rooms of the northern Kaiserzimmer ( Imperial Apartments ) between 1769 and 1772 . At the same time , the Green Lacquered Room and the Neoclassical Fürstensaal ( Princes Hall ) were finished . From 1776 to 1781 , the Ingelheimer Räume ( Ingelheim Rooms ) were decorated , including stucco-work by Materno Bossi . The total construction cost came to over 1.5 million guilders , at a time when a day labourer could expect a weekly wage of one guilder . 19th and early 20th centuries . The episcopal principality of Würzburg was abolished with secularization in 1802/03 . An eight-year interregnum by Grand Duke Ferdinand of Tuscany ( reigned 1806–1814 ) followed , during which he had several rooms of the south block , the so-called Toskanaräume ( Tuscany Rooms ) , decorated in Empire style . Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte slept in the Residence when he stopped in Würzburg three times between 1806 and 1813 . On 2 October 1806 he signed the declaration of war against Prussia here . A Neoclassical double bed and bedside tables were installed in the sleeping room of the northern Imperial Apartments for him and his wife Marie Louise in 1812 . In 1814 , Würzburg became part of the Kingdom of Bavaria . The wrought-iron gates across the Cour dhonneur , which had effectively separated this inner area from the large Residence Square , were demolished in 1821 . In their place today is the Frankoniabrunnen ( fountain ) created by Ferdinand von Miller the Younger . This was unveiled in 1894 as a tribute by the city of Würzburg and the whole of Franconia to Prince Regent Luitpold , who was born in 1821 in the Würzburg Residence itself . Queen Victoria and Prince Albert stayed at the Residence on their way to Schloss Rosenau , Coburg , in August 1845 . In 1921 , the Residence was opened to the public . Destruction in World War II . As a result of a devastating air raid on 16 March 1945 , the residence was almost completely burnt out and only the central building with the Vestibule , Garden Hall , Staircase , White Hall and Imperial Hall survived the inferno , their roofs destroyed . From the attic the fire ate down through wooden ceilings and floors , and all the furnishings and wall panelling which had not been stored elsewhere were devoured by the flames . Much of the furnishing and large sections of the wall panelling of the period rooms had been removed in time and thus escaped destruction . Neumanns stone vaults withstood the collapse of the burning attic . However , because the roofs had gone , further damage was incurred in the ensuing period due to dampness . In the Court Chapel , for example , most of the ceiling frescoes by Byss succumbed to the subsequent consequences of the fire , in spite of the intact vault , and had to be laboriously reconstructed . Post-war rebuilding . From 1945 to 1987 , the building and its interiors were reconstructed to their current state . The rebuilding cost about €20m . Inclusion in UNESCO World Heritage List . The Würzburg Residence with its Court Gardens and Residence Square was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1981 . According to the Advisory Body Evaluation , the inclusion in the List was a measure.. . so clearly desirable that the proposal of the Federal Republic of Germany does not require lengthy justification.. . The Residence is at once the most homogeneous and the most extraordinary of the Baroque palaces.. . It represents a unique artistic realization by virtue of its ambitious program , the originality of creative spirit and the international character of its workshop . Description . Exterior . The Residence was constructed on a baseplate of 92 × 167 meters . The main structure consists of a central wing with two side wings , the north and south blocks , each with two interior courts . On the town side the side wings extend 55 m from the main structure , partially enclosing the Cour dhonneur . Beneath the mansard roof there is a cornice , decorated with vases and trophies . The façade around the main portal in the Cour dhonneur is particularly richly decorated . It lacks the lower mezzanine floor ( see below ) but sports a large balcony above the three portals accessible from the Weisser Saal ( White Hall ) . Above the entrance a large coat-of-arms of Friedrich Carl von Schönborn is located . The Hofkirche ( court chapel ) is completely integrated into the western part of the southern wing and barely distinguishable from the outside . Originally , the Cour dhonneur was limited by a wrought-iron enclosure . This masterpiece of ironworks by Joh . Georg Oegg was demolished in 1821 and sold at auction , because a member of the family of the King of Bavaria did not like them . The square in front of the Residence today measures around 200 meters by 100 meters and is mostly used for parking . The from 1894 is located in the square . Interior . The Residence has four floors , a high-ceiling ground and upper floor with a mezzanine floor above each . These served to enliven the façade and offered room for servants quarters , kitchens and administrative offices . The residence has almost 400 rooms . Staircase . In Baroque style , the staircase gained importance as part of a formal reception room . The staircase of the Würzburg Residence spans its vault , an area of 18 × 32 meters , without pillars . Beneath an unsupported trough vault , a masterpiece of construction with a maximum height of 23 meters . The lowest part of the stair leads away from the reception hall , towards a blank wall and then splits into two stairs which double back . Thus , the host on the upper landing was able to see his visitors first who initially walked away from him . When the guests turned and approached , the vast ceiling fresco above was increasingly revealed to them . This fresco , the largest in the world , created from 1750-3 by Venetian painter Giovanni Battista Tiepolo shows paintings of the four continents : Europe , America , Asia and Africa . Each continent is represented by a typical landscape and animals ( or the painters vision of these animals ) and a female allegorical figure . Europe holds a sceptre , is symbolized by a bull , and has a boy playing with a cannon . America has natives with feathers , who practice cannibalism of prisoners , and a crocodile . Asia has a tiger and elephant , the crosses of Golgotha are visible in the background . Africans have a camel , and a caravan of turbanned Magi . Tiepolo was helped in his labors by his son Giandomenico and the stuccoist Antonio Bossi . There is also a picture of the Prince-Bishop with Mercury approaching from Olympus while Apollo launches the sun horses , surrounded by incarnations of the stars . The fresco also shows Tiepolo himself ( in the southwest corner ) and Neumann , in the center of the southern front , leaning on a cannon . In preparation for his rendering of the large fresco , Tiepolo sketched a scaled-down version of the work ; this sketch is on display in the Metropolitan Museum of Art . Court architect Balthasar Neumann had to fight concerns about the dangers of such an enormous vault . Contrary to the vault with its colors , the stairs and the walls have hardly any decoration at all . While the vault is decorated in the Baroque style , the rest of the staircase is already decorated in the following Neoclassical style . Neumann originally wanted to add a second staircase on the other side of the White Hall , but this was vetoed by the Prince-Bishops advisers due to the costs involved . The staircase was depicted on the back of the final version of 50 Deutsche Mark banknotes , which featured Neumann on the front . White Hall . The Weisser Saal or White Hall in Rococo style was the audience chamber and is dominated by the stucco decorations of Antonio Bossi . The white stucco works on a light gray background are composed of a large quantity of rocailles , mixed with images of real items , especially of military purpose . The lack of gold and colour allows the eye to rest between the splendours of the staircase and the Kaisersaal beyond . Five crystal chandeliers were used to light the room . Imperial Hall or Kaisersaal . This hall opens to the east from the White Hall and is located in the center of the garden front . It was used to receive visiting dignitaries , including the Emperors-to-be on their voyage to Frankfurt and on the return trip to Vienna . It was created in 1749-51 at enormous cost . The walls of the Imperial Hall consist of stucco work marble in shades of red , white and yellow . The dome is painted in white colour , decorated with golden stucco work and also frescoes by Tiepolo , showing an idealized history of the diocese of Würzburg . One picture , Die Trauung Kaiser Barbarossas und der Beatrix von Burgund durch den Würzburger Fürstbischof 1156 shows the marriage of Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa and Countess Beatrix of Burgundy , consecrated by Gerold , Bishop of Würzburg . The opposite picture shows Frederick II appointing the Bishop of Würzburg Duke of Franconia . On top of the dome a painting shows the Brautfahrt : Apollo in the sun chariot leads the bride Beatrix surrounded by Venus , Ceres and Bacchus towards the Emperor Frederick II , who is accompanied by the Bishop of Würzburg . Giovannis son Domenico created the supraportes : Emperor Justinian I publishes the Corpus Juris Civilis , Emperor Constantine the Great orders the execution of Gallus , Ambrose denies access to the church to Emperor Theodosius I . Bossis figures show Poseidon and Juno as well as Flora and Apollo . Southern and Northern Imperial Apartments or Kaiserzimmer . When all the doors are opened between these halls they create an enfilade stretching along the garden front extending a total of 150 meters . These rooms served as reception halls and as accommodation for important guests . The impact of both apartments is generated by a sequence of rooms of increasing degrees of decoration . The most decorated room of the Southern Apartment is the Spiegelsaal or Mirror Cabinet . Its walls consist entirely of glass panels , decorated on the back using either paintings , or drawings engraved into a gold ground and then underlaid with dark gloss paint . All the paintings and drawings show oriental , especially Chinese , scenes . The southern part also includes the Toskanasaal . The highlight of the Northern Apartment is the Green Lacquered Room . Its multilayered wall coverings consist of a metallic green color decorated with paintings and golden ornaments . Court Chapel ( Hofkirche ) . The Court Chapel is a prime example of the sacral Baroque style in Germany . The interior design is dominated by the curving walls and three intergradient oval dome vaults . It extends upwards through both of the main floors of the Residence . The supporting columns are made from agate-coloured marble . The columns of the two side altars and the six statues are made from white marble , carved at Genoa . The side altars are based on designs by Hildebrandt and were painted in 1752 by Tiepolo ( Assumption of Mary to the south , War in Heaven to the north ) . The high altar is made from stucco created to look like marble by Antonio Bossi . Above the altar is a matroneum with a statue of the Immaculate Conception in the centre and oratories on both sides . Bossi was also responsible for the colourful stucco work on the ceiling ( 1735 ) and with painters Högler and Thalhofer created the frescoes in the domes ( 1735-6 ) : martyrdom of the three Franconian apostles Kilian , Totnan and Kolonat ( over the choir ) , Coronation of the Virgin ( in the centre ) and War in Heaven ( above the organ ) . Court Gardens . The Residence was built when Würzburg was still a fortified town . Therefore , the garden too had to be planned within the fortifications . The solution included two bastions of the fortified town wall , using its differences in height to create a very special landscape . From west to east there is a rise in ground , until the level of the wall is reached . Near the residence itself , the Hofgarten ( or Court Gardens ) is designed in a very formal , Baroque style . Farther away , the style changes to an English garden with small forests and meadows . Designs for the former part were made by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt , Neumann and François de Cuvilliés . It was mainly created in 1759-70 . Johann Peter Alexander Wagner added putti , vases , urns and two monumental sculpture groups , the Rape of Europa and the abduction of Proserpina , sited in the central axis between the Orangery and the southern pavilion of the Residence . The figures were added to the park under Prince-Bishop Adam Friedrich von Seinsheim , who had the park at Veitshöchheim similarly decorated . Three monumental gates lead to the Court Gardens , commissioned by Friedrich Karl von Schönborn from Joh . Georg Oegg . Today . The gardens and representative rooms described above are open to the public . A memorial room is dedicated to the Residences destruction in March 1945 . It also honours Major John Davis Skilton , a Monuments man of the U.S . Army who was instrumental in preserving many of the art treasures after his arrival at Würzburg in June 1945 . Most of the rest of the residence is occupied by the Martin von Wagner Museum ( moved here in 1963 ) and organizations of the University of Würzburg . Some scenes of the 2011 film The Three Musketeers were filmed at Würzburg Residence .