Salzburg Residenz Audio Guide

Salzburg Residenz: what does the audio guide cover?

1. 01

   Welcome to Salzburg Residenz

   Welcome to the Salzburg Residenz, also called the Alte Residenz, or Old Residence. You are standing in the historic center of Salzburg, where the palace stretches between the Domplatz and the Residenzplatz. For centuries this was the official residence of the prince-archbishops, the men who ruled Salzburg as both church leaders and princes. The palace was built to show off their power and prestige, and it still does. It helps to know one thing before you start. The Neue Residenz, or New Residence, stands on the opposite side of the Residenzplatz and houses the Salzburg Museum. The building in front of you is the older palace. Over the next few minutes we will follow its story: from a first mention around the year 1120, through a dramatic rebuilding in the late sixteenth century, to the emperors and the art collection that fill its rooms today. Look at the long facades and the arcaded courtyards as you listen. Every archbishop who lived here wanted to leave his own mark, and the palace is a layered record of those ambitions.

2. 02

   From Bishop's Seat to Renaissance Palace

   The Residenz has deep roots. It is first mentioned around 1120. Tradition holds that in the twelfth century Bishop Konrad the First moved his living quarters out of Saint Peter's Abbey and began a bishop's seat of his own. That move put the rulers of Salzburg at the center of the city, right beside the cathedral, and they stayed there for centuries. The great turning point came under Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich. In 1597 he had the existing building partly demolished to make room for a new palace in the style of the late Renaissance. His ambitions went well beyond one building. Under his reign the main courtyards took shape, along with the Residenzplatz and the Domplatz, the great Carabinierisaal hall, the arcaded connections to the Franciscan church, and a building known as Dietrichsruh. Britannica dates the archbishop's residence on the Residenzplatz to the years 1595 to 1619. That fits a story of long, ambitious building work. The Italian influence in such projects helped earn Salzburg its nickname, the German Rome.

3. 03

   Reading the Architecture

   The Residenz is not one design but a composition of many parts, built in different stages. That is exactly what you would expect from a palace where, in the words of the history, every archbishop wanted to leave his own mark. Successive rulers called in the best architects and artisans of their time to furnish it magnificently. Look for the older fragments. The northern wing has arcades with Ionic pillars that rise through two floors, built in the early seventeenth century. The south-east corner belongs to the very first building period of the palace. Inside it are a staircase and stucco work from around 1600, a reminder of the age of Wolf Dietrich. The palace also holds 15 state rooms, which served both as living quarters for the archbishops and as a way of displaying their status. Two of them matter most for formal occasions: the Carabinierisaal and the Rittersaal. These are the so-called Prunkräume, the glorious rooms, and they are the heart of a visit to the state apartments.

4. 04

   Emperors, Oaths and Paintings

   When the age of the prince-archbishops ended, the Residenz did not fall silent. In the Rittersaal, on the first of May, 1816, Emperor Franz the First received the homage and oath of allegiance of the Salzburg estates. That ceremony marked the beginning of Salzburg's affiliation to Austria. Imperial guests followed. Emperor Franz Joseph stayed in the Residenz on his visits to Salzburg. In 1865 he received the later German Emperor Wilhelm the First here, and in 1867 Emperor Napoleon the Third of France, who came on a state visit with his wife Eugénie. Today the palace has a quieter, artistic life. It has belonged to the Province of Salzburg since 1974. The Residenzgalerie holds European paintings from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century, and a collection of paintings was already on show in these same rooms back in 1772. The state rooms and the gallery can be visited as part of the DomQuartier tour. The palace also still hosts receptions, conferences and international congresses, so it remains a working stage for Salzburg.

5. 05

   Before You Head Off

   Step back into the open space of the Residenzplatz and take in the whole scene. Britannica notes the Baroque fountain built between 1658 and 1661, which sits in front of the palace. The historic center around you has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996. Now look at the facades again. Try to spot where one period gives way to another, and imagine the archbishops who each added a layer to the building. Notice how close the palace sits to the cathedral and the Domplatz, and how the arcades link the Residenz to the neighboring buildings. Together with the Hohensalzburg Fortress and the cathedral, the Residenz is among the most important historic buildings in Salzburg. And across the square, the Neue Residenz is waiting, with its own story and the Salzburg Museum inside. Comparing the two buildings is a good way to keep exploring.