Barocul din Palatinat şi eleganţă francofilă: castelele prinţului elector din Palatinat

Prinţul elector din Palatinat, Carl Theodor, iubea luxul şi artele frumoase. Cu acest prinţ, a început „epoca de aur“ a Palatinatului elector, a cărei strălucire se întindea până la Rinul Inferior. Poeţi ca Voltaire şi Gotthold Ephraim Lessing s-au inspirat aici.

Mannheim Palace

The construction of Mannheim Palace on the Upper Rhine, one of the largest absolutist baroque palaces, began under Elector Carl Philipp in 1720. Building work - including contributions by the eminent Balthasar Neumann and Nicolas de Pigage – continued on the vast palace complex for around 40 years.

Benrath Palace & Park

This splendid building in a suburb of Düsseldorf was designed for Elector Palatine Carl Theodor by Nicolas de Pigage in the 18th century. A vast park covering over 60 hectares stretches away to the south of the palace.

www.schloss-benrath.de

Schwetzingen Palace. A Versailles in miniature in the Palatinate.

Among the treasures of Schwetzingen Palace are a mosque with Moorish-style domes, a picturesque mock ruin, a bath house in marble and a splendid Apollo temple.