Built between 1720 and 1744 by architect Balthasar Neumann, the Residenz is one of the most famous works of Baroque architecture in southern Germany alongside the palaces of Schönbrunn and Versailles. In 1981, the Residenz was the third building in Germany to be declared a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. For the famous, cantilevered staircase, the most important fresco painter of his time, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, created the largest continuous ceiling fresco in the world, an allegory of the four continents, between 1751 and 1753.
The Court Chapel (Hofkirche) is a prime example of the sacral Baroque style in Germany. The interior design is dominated by the curving walls and three intergradient oval dome vaults. It extends upwards through both of the main floors of the Residenz. The supporting columns are made from agate-coloured marble. The columns of the two side altars and the six statues are made from white marble, carved at Genoa. The side altars are based on designs by Hildebrandt and were painted in 1752 by Tiepolo. The high altar is made from stucco created to look like marble by Antonio Bossi. Above the altar is a matroneum with a statue of the Immaculate Conception in the centre and oratories on both sides. Bossi was also responsible for the colourful stucco work on the ceiling (1735) and with painters Högler and Thalhofer created the frescoes in the domes (1735-6): martyrdom of the three Franconian apostles Kilian, Totnan and Kolonat (over the choir), Coronation of the Virgin (in the centre) and War in Heaven (above the organ).
Parking:
400 parking spaces for cars in front of the Residenz (all spots require a fee)
15 parking spaces for busses within close proximity to the Residenz (Husarenstraße)
Public Transport:
Tram/Straßenbahn: Stop »Dom«
Bus: Stop »Residenz« or »Mainfranken Theater«
