Archive for the ‘Sights’ Category

This isn’t so much about Naumburg Cathedral inasmuch as it is about its most famous patron, Uta von Naumburg. Or, Uta von Ballenstedt as she was known before marrying Eckhard II, the Margrave of Meissen.

I first learned about the elegant Duchess and her story touched my heart.

Who would have guessed that a lady born over a thousand years ago (in what’s now the Harz Region) would have been considered “the most beautiful woman of the German Middle Ages”? There must have been something about her; and if she looks familiar, it’s because Disney used her as a “model” for the Evil Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Only her likeness, Uta wasn’t considered to be an evil duchess. She is, however, thought to be the epitome of the Teutonic Woman. ;-)

Don’t take my word for it, you go scour the globe looking at all the medieval art you can find (huge exhibits can be found in major cities like New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and London); and let me know if you find a more marvelous medieval matron than the life-size limestone sculpture of her that sits in what is now Naumburg Cathedral.

It wasn’t always a cathedral, it started as a little chapel with funds bequeathed to the church after Uta’s death (Eckhard died only months earlier) and dying childless in 1046.

To be fair, Uta wasn’t the only patron—sculptures of 11 others (including Uta’s husband) were also done at the chapel.

Naumburg (Saale) has rightfully earned its place on the Romanesque Route, receiving more than a hundred-thousand visitors a year to the Romanesque Cathedral that was built in the 13th century. You’re welcome anytime since the cathedral is open year round (less hours from November to March).

If you want more information on Uta’s life, I would suggest taking a guided tour—although it’ll cost you more than just the 4 Euro entrance fee, I think for an audience with Uta that’s money well spent. Don’t you?

Everyone knows Neuschwanstein as perhaps the most famous castle in the world, and as the inspiration for Walt Disney’s Cinderella Palace.

But what some may not realize is that the patron of Neuschwanstein, King Ludwig II, better known as the “Mad King” had many other whimsical and fantastic castle constructions as well.

Let’s take a look at two of his lesser-known masterworks.

Linderhof Palace In Ettal

Linderhof Palace may have been the smallest of his palaces, but it must have had a special meaning to Ludwig. It was the first — and only — palace where he lived to see its completion.

His untimely and rather mysterious death came in 1886, when he was just forty years old. Schloss Linderhof was completed in the same year.

When Ludwig was a young boy, he used to go hunting on the grounds of the Königshäuschen (King’s Cottage). Linderhof’s construction began by first enlarging that very cottage, only to have it torn down and begun again from scratch.

Linderhof Palace is a late rococo style building, but it evidently and proudly borrows aspects from the world-famous Versailles Palace in France. Louis XIV was the Sun King, and in homage to him, the emblem of the sun can be spotted all around Linderhof. There are some other elements that are close replicas of its French sister, particularly the magnificent staircase and the hall of mirrors.

Herrenchiemsee Castle On The Island Of Herreninsel

King Ludwig II was not the original benefactor or architect of the Herrenchiemsee Castle, yet it is still considered one of “his” creations.

The original Schloss Herrenchiemsee dates back to the year 765 when a Benedictine Abbey was constructed on the northern part of this island in Chiemsee on the orders of Duke Tassilo III of Bavaria. By 969, Emperor Otto I had given the land to the bishops of Salzburg who converted the abbey into a monastery for the Canons Regular monks living under the Augustinian rule of poverty and seclusion.

In 1215, there was another change in management for this abbey-turned-monastery. Under the orders of Pope Innocent III, Herrenchiemsee would become a Roman Catholic cathedral of the Bishopric of Chiemsee.

The Catholic rule lasted for many centuries, until the early 1800s. At this time, the Abbey became a secular place and the diocese was disbanded. The new, non-religious owners had no need for a Catholic cathedral. They destroyed it and put up a brewery.

Here is where our King Ludwig enters the picture. By 1873, the entire island was slotted for deforestation. Luckily, Ludwig stepped in and put a stop to any further demolition. He preserved the remaining structures as the “Old Palace” and began to construct a new one. This was just one more palace that Ludwig would not live to see in its finished glory. Construction stopped just after the king’s demise and many of the unfinished sections were later demolished. A year after his death, the palace was opened up to the public.

Although the palace was never completed to Ludwig’s original vision, it remains an impressive sight to behold. The State Rooms and Court Garden are among the highlights. But be sure not to miss the Ludwig Museum. Here, you can learn all about the man who helped to create such wondrous, fantastical castles — the Mad King Ludwig II himself.

—Marcus