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1 Schloss Johannisburg
…to carry Rome across the Alps
The palace was built by Georg Ridinger between 1605 and 1618, under
the orders of Archbishop Johann Schweickard von Kronberg. You can
see a blend of styles from both the Renaissance and Baroque periods.
The impressive keep is the only surviving part of the castle that
stood on the site before the construction of the palace. Within
its walls you will find a gallery of old masters like Lucas Cranach
or Rubens, the state rooms of the Archbishop’s court, the
town museum, the old library, a restaurant and wine press, and last
but not least the biggest collection of cork scale models in Europe
which dates back to the late 18th and early 19th century. At first,
the detailed models were just used for decorative purposes and conversation
starters, but later they helped architects develop their skills.
Cork is the ideal material to imitate the porous Roman tuff.
2 The Walls
River View
The palace gardens were created in 1780, about the same time as
Schönbusch gardens. Archbishop Friedrich Carl Joseph von Erthal,
elector of the Holy Roman Empire, had a beautiful promenade built
on a narrow strip of land that leads to a pavilion, the “breakfast
temple”. The old curtain walls facing the Main were opened
and altered, so that you now can enjoy a walk through a canopy of
vine leaves.
3 Pavilion
Hall of Mirrors on the ramparts
The Georgian pavilion with its lovely hall of mirrors marks the
end of the promenade. The idea for this feature came from the concept
of “Arcadia” – named after a small region on the
Peloponnes peninsula in Greece – which was perceived to be
the ideal landscape, a “paradise on Earth”. Buildings
like the pavilion are landmarks, and provide beautiful vistas, in
this case on the Main, the palace, and across the town to the foothills
of the Spessart. Before the construction of the Pompejanum, the
palace gardens ended here. You can see the medieval moat, which
was integrated into the garden.
4 Pompejanum
Reconstruction of an ancient monument
The Roman town of Pompeii, buried by the ashes of Mount Vesuvius
in 79 AD, continues to fascinate old and young people. It was the
same with King Ludwig I. of Bavaria. On the banks of the Main, he
built a copy of a Roman town house found in Pompeii. The building
boasts beautiful Roman wall paintings, mosaics, and furniture. There
are many “Pompeii rooms” in palaces across Europe, but
an exact and complete reconstruction of a whole house is unique.
Finished in 1850, the Pompejanum is a fascinating example of Roman
architecture and the 19th century ideal of that period. Together
with its gardens, it is the most impressive expression of “longing
for the South” in Aschaffenburg.
5 St.Germain Terrace
Plants of the South
The terrace was named after Aschaffenburg’s French twin city,
St.Germain-en-Laye, where the famous garden architect André
Le Notre built a similar terrace high over the Seine river. The
whole area around the Pompejanum is “pure South”: The
gardens with their Mediterranean flora were partly constructed at
the same time as the Pompejanum. In the mid-1960s the gardens were
expanded at the suggestion of the borough council. You will find
fountains and Baroque statues, as well as splendid specimen of Campsis.
6 Corn House, Stables and Boule field
The “corn house” also follows the concept of the architecture
of the South: Columned halls provided shaded spaces in ancient Greece
and Rome. During the Renaissance period, the columned hall was revived
as a “loggia”. The corn house was built in 1805 as a
decorative element on the Schlossplatz. The little square underneath
the chestnut trees also brings the Southern way of life to mind:
Here the Boule players meet, and will be happy to share the passion
for their hobby with you. Just across the Webergasse you will find
the former stables, now a school for master stonemasons.
7 Theaterplatz
The Sun tells the time
Theaterplatz with its great sundial is the heart of the town. Sundials
were developed by the ancient Greeks, using a “gnomon”
(pointer). The huge chronometer honours the giant dial of Emperor
Augustus, which had an Egyptian obelisk as a gnomon. But it is also
a modern addition to the Southern places of the town. Behind a new
façade of glass in front of the theatre, Mediterranean plants
spend the winter.
8 Stiftsbasilika
The summer snow miracle
After a journey to Rome, one of the Stift’s canons imported
the admiration of the summer snow miracle to Aschaffenburg: According
to the legend, snow covered the ground where Sta. Maria Maggiore
in Rome was built in the middle of August. A chapel was added to
the Stiftskirche of St Peter and Alexander. The summer snow chapel
was the original home of the “Stuppach Madonna” by Matthias
Grünewald. Today, a 1940s copy by Aschaffenburg artist Christian
Schad is on display.
9 Magnolia grove
Schöntal gardens: Spring blossoms
Every spring, the bloom of the great magnolia grove in Schöntal
gardens is a special attraction. The people of Aschaffenburg always
hope that the splendour won’t be burnt by frost. The grove
is a later addition to the 18th century landscape garden designed
by Ludwig Sckell. In the centre of the garden, the ruins of the
church of Heilig-Grab were set in a lake. Archbishop Albrecht von
Brandenburg ordered the church to be built and lavishly decorated
with artefacts in 1541, but only ten years later the church was
burnt down in a war and never rebuilt.
10 Hofgarten
Cabaret in the orangery
To bring the South northwards, people built greenhouses and orangeries
against the cold climate. The 18th century building of the Hofgarten
cabaret was the orangery of Schöntal gardens. The big potted
plants of the restaurant are a reminder of the original purpose.
A few years ago, the cabaret was founded by humorist Urban Priol,
who refurbished the building and transformed it into an ideal venture
for theatre and cabaret.
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