Nymphenburg Palace: A European Gem of Bavarian History

Larger than life: Art that inspires us through the ages

A long and wide walkway invites visitors to admire the front façade of Nymphenburg Palace. Given as a gift to the electress Henriette Adelaide, the property was originally a country estate, to be used as a hunting lodge. The electress planned to make the palace her own by holding court in a mythological setting, dressed as the goddess Diana, but she died before her plans were realized. Her villa, the central structure today, consisted of a two-story cube, with a garden and a large wood behind the building. Over the years, the building was extended, but very few alterations were made to the original structure. In 1715, architect Joseph Effner created two wings on each side of the palace and modernized the façade in a French style. The central building has details from the French Regency style, an architectural and design transitional style between the architectural styles promulgated by Louis XIV and Louis XV. Richard Bartz/CC BY-SA 2.5

Historic, mythical, beautiful. These three words describe the architectural gem located west of Munich, Germany, that is the Nymphenburg Palace, a once-popular summer residence of Bavarian rulers.

In 1662, Elector Ferdinand Maria of Bavaria offered land outside Munich to his Italian-born wife, Henriette Adelaide of Savoy, to commemorate the birth of the heir to the throne, Max Emanuel. Two years later, Italian architect Agostino Barelli began work on a summer residence for the electress in the style of an Italian villa, and architect Henrico Zuccalli continued the project in 1673.

Henriette Adelaide loved the building and called it her “borgo delle ninfe” (“castle of the nymphs”). Her son, Max Emanuel, extended the country estate in 1701, adding magnificent residential pavilions and side galleries. His successor, Elector Karl Albrecht, extended Nymphenburg’s estate to what we see today.

The palace’s style ranges from baroque, rococo, and neoclassicism, and combines Greco-Roman mythology with Bavarian history. From 1805 to 1918, the German Wittelsbach dynasty of elected rulers resided in the palace as rulers of the Kingdom of Bavaria.

The frescos, furniture, and paintings in Max Emanuel’s apartments are decorated in a baroque style. The ceiling fresco in the great hall showcases a rococo-style stucco ornamentation. The apartments of Queen Caroline, mother of renowned King Ludwig II, represent the period of Bavarian kings in the neoclassical and Napoleonic Empire style.

Nymphenburg offers a fascinating glimpse of Bavarian history. It remains one of the best examples of various European architectural styles combined in a single palace. As the grounds were expanded and upgraded to the court styles of each era, they came to reflect the varied cultural influences that marked Bavarian history.

The great hall, at the center of the palace, is a striking two-story room filled with light. The stucco decoration, ceiling fresco, and gold details are in the ornamental Rococo style, designed by 18th-century Bavarian artist Johan Baptist Zimmermann. The room has soft pastel colors on the walls and a colorful ceiling depicting the nymph and flower goddess Flora, who brings nature into the palace. This idyllic scenery honors the prosperity of the state of Bavaria. (Diego Delso/CC BY-SA 3.0) 

The famous Gallery of Beauty consists of 36 portraits by court painter Joseph Karl Stieler.  This collection of portraits was initially displayed in the Munich Residence (the former residence of Bavarian electors, dukes, and kings), and later transferred to Nymphenburg. At the time, exterior beauty was a sign of moral perfection as reflected by the beauties portrayed in the gallery, and beauty and art are omnipresent in this palace. Kaho Mitsuki/CC BY-SA 3.0

The study and reception room of Queen Caroline of Bavaria, with furniture following Egyptian fashion in the Napoleonic era. The round table is inlaid with exotic precious woods from Paris, and small gilt-bronze reliefs of pharaoh, are inlaid around the edge of the table. The rest of the furniture was made in Munich with an alder veneer, a popular finish at the time. (Diego Delso/CC BY-SA 3.0)Diego Delso/CC BY-SA 3.0

The Nymphenburg Baroque garden, next to the castle, is filled with Greco-Roman statues. It was designed by Dominique Girard, a master fountaineer at Versailles and pupil of André Le Nôtre, the designer of the Versailles gardens. This garden is part of the 445-acre palace park, laid out by elector Max Emanuel. It was redesigned in the early 19th century by garden architect Friedrich Ludwig von Sckell, in an English landscape style. The fountain, avenues, and central canal in front of the palace remain from the original Baroque garden. Today, the Nymphenburg park is one of the finest examples of garden design and of the English landscape style in Germany. Florian Adler/CC BY-SA 3.0

The great hall of the Badenburg pavilion in the Nymphenburg park was built between 1719 and 1721. Built for small festivities, it was designed in the Baroque style with tall glass doors, wall fountains, mirrors, and detailed stucco work. On the ceiling, a fresco represents the god Apollo with the goddess Flora, surrounded by the nine muses. The stucco work by Charles Dubut reflects love, water, and festiveness, while the putti, or small cherubs, in the corners of the ceiling symbolize the four seasons. The pavilion also has one of Europe’s oldest indoor swimming pools, as bathing was popular among Bavarian rulers, and an apartment with Chinese-inspired wallpaper. Fred Romero/CC BY 2.0

 

The Amalienburg pavilion, built between 1734 and 1739, was the only pavilion not built by Effner for Max Emanuel. Elector Karl Albrecht commissioned this pavilion for his wife, Maria Amalia, to host small parties and pheasant shooting. Designed by François de Cuvilliés, it is considered one of the most beautiful examples of Rococo architecture in Bavaria. Here, the hall of silvered mirrors is a masterpiece of European Rococo design, with carvings and stucco work by Johann Joachim  Dietrich and Johann Baptist Zimmermann. (Massimop/CC BY-SA 3.0) 

The elegant Pagodenburg pavilion, built between 1716 and 1719, was built for relaxation and is composed of a resting room, a magnificent tiled hall, and a lacquer cabinet. In the style of a Chinese pagoda, the pavilion was named “Pagodenburg” for small figures of Chinese minor deities called “pagods.” Here, the ground floor is decorated with Dutch tiles. The upper floor has Chinese-style decorations, a popular style in early 18th-century Europe, and a feature of the French Regency style. Pedro J Pacheco/CC BY-SA 3.0 DE

 

The Magdalenenklause pavilion, built between 1725 and 1728, is one of the earliest examples in Europe of a park building designed as a ruin. The pavilion was built in the Italian style as a hermitage with an artificial grotto. Made as a wood-paneled apartment of monastic simplicity, the pavilion was designed as a place of retreat and contemplation for Max Emanuel. The grotto and chapel have stucco work with carved coral, metal flowers, shells, and colored bird figures. Pedro J Pacheco/CC BY-SA 3.0 DE