Salzburg Residenz

Salzburg Residenz is a palace located at Domplatz and Residenzplatz in the historic centre of Salzburg, Austria. First mentioned about 1120, for centuries the Prince-Archbishops of Salzburg resided at the Residenz and used the palace to present and represent their political status. Today the Salzburg Residenz palace is a museum and one of the most impressive attractions in the city.HistoryThe earliest recorded reference to the bishop's palace was in a document dated around 1120. Construction began under Archbishop Conrad I, when he relocated his residence from St Peter's Abbey to its present site close to Salzburg Cathedral.In the sixteenth century, several changes and additions to the structure were made. The bishop's palace took on its present Renaissance appearance under the auspices of Archbishop Wolf Dietrich Raitenau between 1587 and 1612, probably according to plans designed by the Italian architect Vincenzo Scamozzi. In the early seventeenth century, work began on the south wing, which included the addition of the large staircase and the Carabinieri-Saal, a section that connected the palace to the Franciscan Church and a large courtyard.The successors of Wolf Dietrich continued to expand and refine the palace through to the end of the eighteenth century. The Residenzplatz façade as well as the interiors were altered with Baroque elements designed by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt and paintings by Johann Michael Rottmayr. Throughout the centuries up to the rule of the last prince-archbishop Hieronymus von Colloredo (1772–1803), the palace served as archiepiscopal residence, as well as a place of public gatherings and state affairs, all taking place in a setting that reflected power and grandeur.