Mirabell Palace, Salzburg

The Castle, Gardens, Marble Hall and Square

As with so many landmarks in Salzburg, the Mirabell Palace was built for a senior member of the clergy who, as archbishop, was the political leader of the wealthy archdiocese of Salzburg. In 1606, Prince Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau had a palace, which he called Altenau, built outside the city walls for Salome Alt. She was the daughter of Wilhelm Alt, a citizen of Salzburg and a highly respected merchant and councillor - and she was Wolf Dietrich's great love. She bore him fifteen children, of whom ten survived. Altenau Palace was intended to be a fitting residence for Wolf Dietrich's sweetheart and her children; he hoped it would go some way to making up for the fact that they were excluded from many social events (because Wolf Dietrich was a cleric, he could not marry his beloved Salome, and their children were treated as illegitimate).

The palace was given its current name by Wolf Dietrich's successor, Markus Sittikus (1612-19). He had Altenau renamed Mirabell after the death of Wolf Dietrich, who was forced to abdicate in 1612 and held prisoner in Hohensalzburg Fortress until his death. The palace and its gardens were drawn into the city by the defences built by Prince Archbishop Paris Graf von Lodron (1619-53). He always enjoyed staying in the palace and died there on 15 December 1653.

Between 1721 and 1727, Prince Archbishop Franz Anton Fürst von Harrach had the Mirabell Palace extensively redesigned and integrated into a self-contained complex under the direction of the famous baroque master builder Lukas von Hildebrandt. The palace was badly damaged in the great fire that swept through the city on 30 April 1818; the frescoes by Johann Michael Rottmayr and Gaetano Fanti were among the treasures lost to the flames. Thankfully, the Marble Hall and the great marble steps that lead into the palace were unscathed.

The modern, relatively modest appearance of the palace is the work of Peter de Nobile, Architect-in-Chief and Principal of the Vienna School of Architecture, but hints of the pomp and circumstance of the earlier design can still be seen in elements such as the edging of the windows, the capitals, and various fragmentary details. The masterly staircase by Lukas von Hildebrandt is among the palace's greatest artistic treasures. The marble balustrade is adorned with endearing angels. The sculptures in the niches by Georg Raphael Donner (1726) are among the finest products of the European baroque.

The Marble Hall, once the ceremonial hall of the prince archbishops, is now one of the most beautiful wedding halls in the world. Leopold Mozart, and his children Wolfgang and Nannerl, performed here, although they would have played to accompany festive dinners rather than weddings. The Marble Hall is also an imposing venue for conferences, ceremonies, and atmospheric concerts such as the Salzburg Palace Concerts.

Throughout its long history, the Mirabell Palace has played host to many important visitors. Prince Otto of Bavaria, future king of Greece, was born here on 1 July 1815 during a short period when Salzburg belonged to Bavaria. The following year, Salzburg returned to Austrian rule, and the Mirabell Palace became a summer residence belonging to the Emperor. For the twelve years between 1851 and 1863, Archbishop Cardinal Maximilian Josef von Tarnóczy resided in the palace. The legendary Capuchin father Joachim Haspinger, loyal companion and comrade-in-arms of the famous Andreas Hofer who fought for Tyrolean freedom, stayed in the palace as a guest of his emperor between 4 September 1854 and 12 January 1858. He also died there, and is remembered by a memorial plaque in the palace courtyard. Today, the palace houses the offices of the mayor and town council of Salzburg.