We’d met our local docent, Victoria, at the Residenz, the Prince-Bishop’s palace in the center of the city. Prince-Bishops ruled here for 4-5 centuries, but they lived in the fortress overlooking the city. When the bishops decided they wanted out of the fortress they built this baroque Residenz in 1720-44. We were told, “This is the last and finest baroque castle in Germany. The castle shows unity and design unusual in such large structures.”
Upon entering, we faced a beautiful grand stairway leading to the upper floor. Standing at the bottom of the stairs, our animated guide told us, “In Maria Teresa's day you would walk upstairs with your back straight and head held high while slightly looking down your nose. You grasped your skirt with the right hand while your left hand is bent at the elbow with the little finger in the air. Then you walked up the stairs without looking down.”
Jan and I decided to give it a try. The steps were wide to accommodate a large foot and with only about a five-inch rise, the steps were very easy to navigate. We pretty much led the pack and I‘m sure the stodgy passengers behind us thought we were crazy. We made it all the way up the long, wide staircase without tripping or missing a step, but Jan couldn’t stop giggling---all the way to the top.
The rails of the grand stairway were decorated with statuary and lanterns. The palace is typically ornate baroque, with each room being more cluttered that the previous one.
At the top of the stairs the docent continued, “During WW II 90% of the city was destroyed when in March 1945, in fifteen minutes, 380,000 fire bombs were dropped on Wurzburg. The main part of the palace survived, but the wings were destroyed. The palace has 342 rooms, a church for the Bishop and lovely gardens. The ceiling fresco in this hallway is the largest in the world. Painted in just 13 months it depicts the four continents as they were known at that time. On one side is Europe, Africa on another, and Asia and North America on the other sides.” (She kept referring to North America as the United States.)
The main room is done in rococo, which personally I found very gaudy---baroque gone mad. The ceilings were beautiful and we were told the plaster master used no molds to create any of the design. At the time of our visit some of the ceilings were undergoing repair and renovation. We viewed Flemish tapestries and porcelain corner stoves.
In the bedroom she pointed out vents in the fireplace next to a small door saying, “Vials of perfume could be placed here and then the aroma would be blown into the room when there was a fire. Remember centuries ago people very seldom bathed. Sandalwood fans also served the purpose of disguising body order.” She passed around an old fan and amazingly the sweet scent still lingered.
As she was standing by a very pretty chest she told us, “Before indoor plumbing the bishops had toilet stewards who literally carried around the chamber pot. But as time went on,”---at this point she opened the lid of the cabinet and folded out the front panels to a reveal a commode chair. What a surprise! And the seat was padded at that.
In the mirror room, which had been completely rebuilt, there were 600 panes of glass, all painted in the reverse technique. She said, “It took eight years to restore this room so this room is only 16 years old. It was a real learning process for the artists to learn and perfect the reverse painting. Using the gold was a real challenge for them also.” Just beyond the ropes in this room was a lovely inlaid card table. She added, “The bishops liked to play cards, and with all these mirrors you can be assured they seldom lost a game.” She then demonstrated how cards could be seen from just about every angle. Even the ceiling was mirrored.
As we finished touring the palace we moved on to the chapel which was originally intended only for the bishop and his guests. However, today regular Sunday services, open to the public, are held. Saturdays are popular days for weddings.
Our animated guide made this a fun visit. Since I’ve visited so many colonial homes, castles and palaces, I always look for something new and different. This was a well worth visit, and I saw several things I had never seen before.
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