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up to 60 persons

99 m2 area

The Antechamber

The long wait

up to 60 persons

99 m2 area

The sequence of rooms in the Residenz was arranged according to an established order. The closer the visitor came to the private quarters, the more strictly he was scrutinised. Anyone wishing an audience with the archbishop was required to wait here, in the antechamber to the audience chamber, and often had to hold out for hours. Admission was granted only to emissaries and members of the aristocracy.

Quite deliberately, there was no seating, for the visitor had to stand until the two footmen opened the door to admit him to the audience chamber. Meanwhile, he had time to contemplate the ceiling painting by Martino Altomonte and to decipher its message: Alexander cuts the Gordian knot with his sword, fulfilling the prophecy of the Gordian oracle, that whoever could unravel the knot would become ruler of the Persian empire – the symbolism being that insoluble problems can be solved only by the ruler himself.

The splendid baroque chandelier of Bohemian crystal, the stove with gilded urns and the Venetian mirror are part of the original furnishings. The nocturnal clock dated 1728, which once stood in the bedroom, is a curiosity: the dial, made of translucent silk, was lit from behind by a candle. The Brussels tapestries on the walls, dating from the latter half of the 17th century, are part of a series representing the months of the year.

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Rooms
Carabinieri Hall 525 170 396 123 114 376 525 50x12 640,80
Knights Hall 250 108 160 64 69 186 250 25x10 254,18
Conference Hall 160 76 99 40 44 120 160 14,94x12,82 189,26
Antecamera 60 27 55 34 21 56 60 10,05x9,85 99,19
Audience Hall 90 48 90 42 36 30 100 13,79x9,84 134,97
Throne Room 120 48 132 52 52 120 120 20,24x8,76 177,44
White Hall 120 48 108 48 42 96 120 19,46x8,80 171,48
Imperial Hall 150 89 88 56 48 88 150 19,42x9,11 176,35
Inner courtyard with arcades 525 - - - - - 525 - 1.070