Hofkirche at the Residenz

At the Würzburg Residenz there is a Hofkirche (Court Chapel).  The Hofkirche has been on my mind since we we visited last week.  Since college I’ve had an interest in how thoughtful architecture (use of natural light, acoustics, scale) can influence sacred spaces, and the Residenz chapel was breathtaking.

Below are a few more photos.  The planning architect of the Hofkirche was Balthasar Neumann, a german, who designed the adjacent palace. The paintings within the Hofkirche were badly damaged by fire and water during WWII and were restored in the twenty years following the war.

(click to enlarge)

  

Residenz

There is a second palace in Würzburg, called: The Residenz.

The Schönborn Bishop-Princes of Würzburg lived and hosted lavish gatherings in this building during the 18th-century.  Below is a small portion of a large ceiling fresco  on the grand staircase. The painting is 7200 sq ft, and was painted over 3 years by the Italian painter Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. It was painted in the popular style of the Italian rococo rather than in the german tradition. The scene depicts the artist’s representation of the seven continents.

Balthasar Neumann,  was the architect of the Residenz and designed the palace in a Baroque architectural style. Würzburg was his home for a portion of his life.  The Residenz is a notable work for both the architect and painter. However, it was mentioned a few times during the audio-tour that Napoleon and his companion stayed one night in the grandest room of the Residenz.