Exterior view
by WELSCH, Maximilian von, Photo
Bruchsal Palace (Schloss Bruchsal) is the only Prince-Bishop’s residence on the Upper Rhine. It is famous for its opulent staircase constructed by Balthasar Neumann – known as the “crown jewel of all Baroque staircases.”
Work on Schloss Bruchsal began in 1720, following the designs by Welsch. In 1727 Balthasar Neumann was summoned to Bruchsal by Cardinal Damian Hugo von Sch�nborn, prince-bishop of Speyer, to take on the construction of the palace. Neumann submitted new plans including the famous curving double flights of stairs executed in 1731 by Johann Georg Stahl (1687–1755). The staircase sweeps up to the piano nobile from a rectangular vestibule, rising around a circular space, which is surmounted by a wide dome.
The picture shows the garden front of Schloss Bruchsal.