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- E Have your
dreamwedding at the Schwetzigen Castle and its
wonderful garden.
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- Go back in time
and enjoy the inspiring flair of the Rokkoko
era.
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Some historical
facts:
The main building replaces an older moated castle of which it
also retains some built-up portions (hence the slightly irregular layout). It
was built in its current form between 1700 and 1750, to plans of the Heidelberg
architect, Adam Breunig. Construction began within the reign of Johann Wilhelm
von der Pfalz, for whom the castle was not yet to be an official summer
residence, but a simple hunting lodge. However, an ornate, if comparatively
modest first garden was laid out at the same time, which was retained and
embellished by Karl Philip. When the new, greatly expanded gardens of Charles
Theodore began to take shape in the 1750s and 60s, plans were commissioned from
the court architect, Nicolas de Pigage, for a new palace that
would have been on a par with its surroundings. However, mostly due to
concurrent projects that siphoned off funds (the completion of the gigantic new
residential palace at
Mannheim and the reconstruction of Schloss Benrath), nothing became of these
plans. As a result, the modest, almost squalid building as it stands today is
completely overwhelmed by the garden's sheer size and magnificence. It would,
therefore, be more appropriate to call it "the gardens and castle of
Schwetzingen", and not the reverse.
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Much of the interior decoration and of the original furnishings survive.
Following a major restoration effort in the late 20th century, several of the
electoral and ducal apartments are now back in the state their previous
occupants would have known. These rooms may not have the surpreme splendour
found elsewhere, but they do convey a particularly vivid image of the court's
everyday life. The building was too small to also accommodate the reception
rooms required for the gatherings of the court. These - comprising two large
halls and the theater- were instead incorporated into the two symmetrical curved
outbuildings (German: Zirkelbauten) on the garden front, initially intended to
serve only as orangeries.
The theatre
Much like the gardens, the theatre is in many ways a synthesis of conlicting
styles. Originally built in 1753, to the plans of Pigage and in a very short
time, it could be considered a pure rococo creation. In the course of a later refurbishment,
this was blended with early classicist tendencies. In its first state, the
theatre, following the example of french court theatres of the time, did not
have boxes (these were a staple of "italian" theatres). In order to enlarge it,
the auditorium's back wall was then pierced with a row of arcades, thus creating
a more "box-like" impression. As a result, the theatre can, at least visually,
also be considered a combination of the customary "french" and "italian"
layouts, even if the adjustment was, in this case, made mostly for practical
reasons. As with the garden, it should be noted that the overall effect is very
homogeneous as well as esthetically pleasing. Well into the 20th century, the
theatre had preserved its original stage machinery. Sadly, this was then lost
and replaced with modern facilities, first in the 1950s, and again in the
1970's, when the backstage area was also expanded.
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During the second half of the 18th century, when the current Schwetzingen
garden was created, the "French" formal garden was gradually being supplanted by
the "English" landscape garden as the prevalent style of
gardening. The numerous princely estates within the German Empire were quick to pick up the
change, often remodelling older gardens according to the new taste. The
Schwetzingen Garden perhaps uniquely reflects this fundamental change in
attitude, as its creators actually sought to reconcile the two conflicting
styles. Accordingly, while the oldest portions are strictly formal, the newer
ones subsequently introduced more "natural" features. However, great care was
taken so that the finished work would still form a coherent whole. As a result,
Schwetzingen is sometimes described as the principal surviving example of an
intermediary style, the "anglo-chinese" garden, but in its diversity actually
transcends the boundaries of that particular - and short-lived - style.
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The
castles garden with its baroqur style is a world cultural heritage
Nowadays the rooms are used for privat
events, concerts and of cause weddings
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Get married at the chapell.
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Have your champagne reception
at the Apollo temple.
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You have the choice of some different rooms
like the ones beneth.
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Foyer
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Kammermusiksaal
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Konzertsaal
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