Nymphenburg palace - The Versailles in Bavaria

The Nymphenburg Palace is a Baroque palace situated in Munich's western
district Neuhausen-Nymphenburg, in Bavaria, southern Germany. 

The Nymphenburg served as the main summer residence for the former
rulers of Bavaria of the House of Wittelsbach.







History


The palace was commissioned by the electoral couple Ferdinand Maria and
Henriette Adelaide of Savoy to the designs of the Italian architect Agostino Barelli
in 1664 after the birth of their son Maximilian II Emanuel.

Starting in 1701, Maximilian Emanuel, the heir to Bavaria, a sovereign
electorate of the Holy Roman Empire, undertook a systematic extension of
the palace. Two pavilions were added each in the south and north of Barelli's
palace by Enrico Zucalli and Giovanni Antonio Viscardi and were connected
with the centre pavilion by two gallery wings.

In 1795, Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria ordered the widening of the
galleries on the park side. In 1826, under King Ludwig I of Bavaria, his
architect Leo von Klenze removed the gables of the main pavilion with
the Electoral coat of arms and created an attic style decoration directly
under the roof instead.

With the Treaty of Nymphenburg signed in July 1741, Charles Albert
allied with France and Spain against Austria. Two of his children were
born here: Maria Antonia (future Electress of Saxony) in 1724 and
Maria Anna Josepha (future Margravine of Baden-Baden) in 1734. 

Charles Albert lived during his time in Munich as Holy Roman Emperor
at Nymphenburg Palace and died there in 1745. 

In 1792, Elector Charles Theodor opened the park for the public.

For a long time, the palace was the favourite summer residence of the
rulers of Bavaria. King Max I Joseph died there in 1825 and his
great-grandson King Ludwig II was born there in 1845. 

In 1863, the only meeting between Ludwig and Otto von Bismarck
was held in Nymphenburg, although they remained connected
in a lifelong friendship.








Nowadays


Today, Nymphenburg is open to the public but also continues to be
a home and chancery for the head of the House of Wittelsbach,
currently Franz, Duke of Bavaria. 


The main building alone has more than 300,000 visitors per year.
Nymphenburg Palace has as many visitors as the Munich Residence
and more than Schleissheim Palace, though the castles of King Ludwig
II, especially Neuschwanstein, are more frequented.







A visit


I visited Nymphenburg Palace on a rainy day in 2014. I took the public
transport and the palace is reachable in a short walk.




own pictures taken in 2014

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