The Würzburg Residence, former seat of the prince-bishops, is one of the most important Baroque palaces in Europe. The architecture of Balthasar Neumann, in particular his famous staircase, and the two large ceiling frescoes by the brilliant Giovanni Battista Tiepolo are two of the most outstanding artistic achievements of the 18th century.
Frescoes and decoration in the Imperial Hall of the Würzburg Residence
The Imperial Hall forms the heart of the Würzburg Residence, a UNESCO world heritage property. The outstanding synthesis of all the decorative arts makes this festival hall one of the most beautiful coherent secular interiors of the Baroque age. Following the restoration work that was completed in 2009, the Imperial Hall is presented and explained here on the basis of splendid new colour photographs, with a particular focus on the world-famous frescoes of the Venetian Giovanni Battista Tiepolo.
In 1752/53 the Venetian Giovanni Battista Tiepolo created the famous ceiling fresco with the four continents in the staircase hall of the Wurzburg Residence. Following the completion of the restoration in 2006, this European masterpiece is presented for the first time on the basis of new colour photos. The authors describe the significance and composition of the fresco and explain how Tiepolo designed and produced it, as well as how it was restored.