Schloss Weißenstein
| Schloss Weißenstein | |
|---|---|
 Main wing | |
  | |
| Alternative names | Schloss Pommersfelden |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Baroque |
| Town or city | Pommersfelden |
| Country | Germany |
| Coordinates | 49°45′47″N 10°49′16″E / 49.763°N 10.821°E |
| Construction started | 1711 |
| Completed | 1718 (1719 outbuildings) |
| Client | Lothar Franz von Schönborn |
| Owner | Schönborn family |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect |
Johann Dientzenhofer Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt Maximilian von Welsch Anselm Franz von Ritter zu Groenesteyn |
Schloss Weißenstein is a Schloss or palatial residence in Pommersfelden, Bavaria, southern Germany. It was designed for Lothar Franz von Schönborn, Prince-Bishop of Bamberg and Archbishop of Mainz, to designs by Johann Dientzenhofer and Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt. Weißenstein, built as a private summer residence, remains in the Schönborn family. It is considered a masterwork of Baroque art.[1]:10
Location
Schloss Weißenstein is located in the Upper Franconian district of Bamberg in the village of Pommersfelden, Bavaria, Germany.
History
In 1710, Lothar Franz von Schönborn, Prince-Bishop of Bamberg and Archbishop of Mainz, inherited the estate after the local family, the Truchsesse of Pommersfelden had died out. He ordered the construction of a palace as a private summer residence, paid for from his personal wealth. A team or architects including Johann Dientzenhofer who had previously built the Fulda Cathedral and the church at Kloster Banz and Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt, the court architect of the Austrian Emperor Karl VI. The Marstall and park were designed by Schönborn's own court architect, Maximilian von Welsch. Anselm Franz von Ritter zu Groenesteyn designed many of the outbuildings. The local head of construction was the Jesuit priest Nikolaus Loyson (1676–1720).[1]:6
The castle was built between 1711 and 1719 from local sandstone materials. The interior art was finished in 1723. Contributors included Johann Michael Rottmayr, Johann Rudolf Byss and Giovanni Francesco Marchini.[1]:6
After the death of Lothar Franz in 1729, the palace passed to his nephew Friedrich Karl von Schönborn who had the park expanded. A plan by Balthasar Neumann was however, only partially realized. In the early 19th century, the park was transformed from its original Baroque form into an English landscape garden.[1]:78
During the Seven Years' War the palace was attacked and damaged by Prussian troops.[2]
Minor restoration work was done in the late 19th century. More recently, preservation work has been done in 1975 to 2003.[1]:6
Today
The Schloss remains the property of the Schönborn family. It is considered a Baroque masterwork and the combination of exterior and well-preserved interiors gives it European importance.[1]:13
The palace and its park are open to the public. The Marstall and Orangerie today house a hotel (currently closed).[3]
The palace contains the largest private Baroque art collection in Germany, containing over 600 pictures. Baroque and Renaissance artists represented include Peter Paul Rubens, Albrecht Dürer, Titian, Rembrandt and Anthony van Dyck.[4]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Schiedermair, Werner (2011). Schloss Weißenstein in Pommersfelden (German). Fink. ISBN 978-3-89870-145-7.
- ↑ "Schloss-Weissenstein History". Gemeinnützige Stiftung Schloss Weissenstein in Pommersfelden. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
- ↑ "Schloss-Weissenstein Hotel". Gemeinnützige Stiftung Schloss Weissenstein in Pommersfelden. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
- ↑ "Schloss-Weissenstein Art Collection". Gemeinnützige Stiftung Schloss Weissenstein in Pommersfelden. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Schloss Weißenstein. |
Coordinates: 49°45′46″N 10°49′15″E / 49.76278°N 10.82083°E