The Landshut Residence (German: Stadtresidenz Landshut) is a palace in

Landshut Landshut (; ) is a town in Bavaria, Germany, on the banks of the Isar, River Isar. Landshut is the capital of Lower Bavaria, one of the seven administrative regions of the Free state (government), Free State of Bavaria, and the seat of the surrou ...

Lower Bavaria Lower Bavaria (, ; ) is one of the seven administrative regions of Bavaria, Germany, located in the east of the state. It consists of nine districts and 258 municipalities (including three cities). Geography Lower Bavaria is subdivided into two ...

History

In 1536

Louis X, Duke of Bavaria Louis X (German: Ludwig X, Herzog von Bayern), ( Grünwald, 18 September 1495 – 22 April 1545 in Landshut) was Duke of Bavaria (1516–1545), together with his older brother William IV, Duke of Bavaria. His parents were Albert IV and Kuni ...

laid the foundation stone for a new residence in the inner city of Landshut. It was begun in

German Renaissance The German Renaissance, part of the Northern Renaissance, was a cultural and artistic movement that spread among German thinkers in the 15th and 16th centuries, which developed from the Italian Renaissance. Many areas of the arts and sciences ...

style under the architect Bernhard Zwitzel from Augsburg; this palace is today known as the "German building" (in German: ''Deutscher Bau''). During a journey to Italy the duke got the inspiration for an additional palace. Behind the German building, close to the river

Isar The Isar () is a river in Austria and in Bavaria, Germany. Its source is in the Karwendel mountain range of the Alps. The Isar river enters Germany near Mittenwald and flows through Krün, Wallgau, Bad Tölz, Munich, and Landshut before reaching ...

, the so-called "Italian building" (in German: ''Italienischer Bau'') was constructed from 1537 to 1543 in

Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance ( ) was a period in History of Italy, Italian history between the 14th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Western Europe and marked t ...

style with a spacious courtyard and the palace chapel. It was modeled in particular after the Palazzo Te in

Mantua Mantua ( ; ; Lombard language, Lombard and ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Italian region of Lombardy, and capital of the Province of Mantua, eponymous province. In 2016, Mantua was designated as the "Italian Capital of Culture". In 2 ...

, and was the first Italian style palace erected north of the Alps. Both buildings were connected by two wings. The paintings in the rooms were created by the Germans Hermanus Posthumus, Hans Bocksberger the Elder and Ludwig Refinger, while the stucco was done by Italian artists. When Count William of Birkenfeld-Gelnhausen, who became later the first

Duke in Bavaria Duke in Bavaria () was a title used among others since 1506, when primogeniture was established, by all members of the House of Wittelsbach, with the exception of the Duke ''of'' Bavaria which began to be a unique position. So reads for instance ...

, resided in the palace from 1780 onwards the facade of the German building was altered in French Neo-classical style by

Carl Albert von Lespilliez Carl Albert von Lespilliez (also known as Karl Albert von Lespilliez) (1723-1796) was a German draftsman, architect and printmaker. He worked as an architect for the Bavarian court. His work is held in the collection of the Cooper-Hewitt, Nationa ...

and the so-called "Birkenfeld Rooms" were constructed. These rooms were decorated again with early wallpaper, when Crown Prince Ludwig lived here in the early 19th century, in the course of his studies in Landshut. These rooms are today a part of the Residence Museum, together with the halls of the Italian building.

References

External links

Landshut Residence
{{Authority control Houses completed in 1543 Palaces in Bavaria Royal residences in Bavaria Museums in Bavaria Renaissance architecture in Germany Historic house museums in Germany Registered historic buildings and monuments in Bavaria Buildings and structures in Landshut 1543 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire