In this aerial view, Schwetzingen Palace is surrounded by a French-style Baroque garden, characterized by flower borders, hedge zones, and water features, reminiscent of Versailles. (Courtesy of the State Palaces and Gardens of Baden-Württemberg/Achim Mende)
Schwetzingen Palace was once the summer residence of the prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire. With its eclectic architecture and beautiful gardens, it is often considered a miniature version of Versailles, the palace of Louis XIV.
Records from 1350 mention the palace, located in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, was a moated castle. Over the centuries, the structure transformed into a hunting lodge, which was destroyed during the 16th century. In 1697, Prince Elector Johann Wilhelm II rebuilt the original structure and extended it, adding two wings to the one-story building and a forecourt. In 1720, his successor, Charles III Philip, used it as a summer residence, and laid the foundation stone for the palace garden.
Prince Elector Charles Theodore, a lover of the arts and science, extended the garden in the French baroque style, characterized by symmetry and geometry. Court gardener Johann Ludwig Petri designed the formal garden, and landscape architect Friedrich Ludwig von Sckell added an informal English garden over 20 yearslater.
Charles III Philip also commissioned an assortment of whimsical structures inside the gardens. Highlights include the marble bath house and various Neoclassical temples.
The palace features the Zirkel, the two long wings that form a gentle semi-circle at its sides. The northern Zirkel was designed by architect Alessandro Galli da Bibiena between 1748 and 1750; his student designed the southern end in 1753. A theater designed by Nicolas de Pigage is located in the northern Zirkel. Originally, the southern Zirkel accommodated members of the court.
The front façade of the palace features the entrance to the main residential building, which dates from the 17th century. Two wings, known as the Zirkel, were built in the 18th century. The palace features elements of the baroque style, with its curved angles and overall symmetry. A clock tops the main pink façade, which retains uneven foundation walls from the original medieval structure. (Berthold Werner)
The temple of Minerva is located in the palace gardens. Dedicated to the Roman goddess of wisdom and knowledge, the Neoclassical structure was designed by Nicolas de Pigage in 1769, and based on a Roman model, with Corinthian columns and a carved portico. A statue of the goddess, by artist Gabriël Grupello, stands at the back wall. (Misburg3014/CC BY-SA 3.0)
The bath house, built between 1768 and 1772 served as a retreat for Elector Charles Theodore. The one-story pink façade is modeled after an Italian villa and features a rectangular floor plan with carved statues, reminiscent of the elegant Neoclassical style. (KarlTheo/CC0)
The orangery, an 18th-century brick and glass structure, was designed to keep orange and other citrus trees safe from inclement weather. This orangery was used to store exotic plants, and today houses original garden statues by French artist Barthélemy Guiba, including a statue of Apollo holding a lyre, and a collection of stag sculptures. (H-AB Photography/Shutterstock)
Located on the second floor, the Von Hochberg Apartment, named after the countess who resided there, is furnished in the 19th-century Empire style. The bedroom includes walnut chairs with green upholstery, a canopy bed, a fireplace, and classic vases. (Courtesy of State Palaces and Gardens of Baden-Württemberg)
The northern Zirkel, a one-story wing of the main palace building, is located on one side of the palace. The curved design provides the perfect backdrop to the formal gardens and hosts a Rococo court theater. (ArishG/CC BY-SA 3.0)
The Schwetzingen theater contains a unique blend of the rococo and neoclassical styles with its gilded features and stucco work. The center stage is framed by marble columns and displays an elaborate baroque set with complex stage machinery. On both sides, elegant stucco galleries feature tiers without boxes, inspired by French and Italian court theaters of the day. (Andreas Praefcke/CC BY 3.0)
The gardens are world-renowned for their unique combination of French and English gardening styles. The gardens include a circular parterre, trimmed hedges, geometric patterns, and over 100 statues by French artist Barthélemy Guibal. The informal English landscape garden holds more natural features such as bushes and trees, while still retaining some elements of the French Baroque style. (Berthold Werner/CC BY-SA 3.0)
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