Augustusburg Palace, Brühl

Augustusburg Palace in Brühl was entered in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1984. In this compact, generously illustrated book, several historians and art historians present the palace's history, superb architecture, grand gardens and exquisite interiors. Augustusburg Palace in Brühl, a World Heritage site with spacious gardens, is the work of highly acclaimed European artists, including Balthasar Neumann and François de Cuvilliés. Clement-August of Bavaria, archbishop and elector of Cologne, engaged them to build and decorate what he intended to make his summer residence. In his day Clement-August was one of the most brilliant dignitaries of the Holy Roman Empire. In addition to the electorate of Cologne, he also ruled the dioceses of Hildesheim, Osnabrück, Paderborn and Münster, and was Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights. Augustusburg Palace and its gardens impressively demonstrate his demand for prestige. Johann Conrad Schlaun began the construction of the palace on the foundations of a medieval moated castle. In 1728, Clement-August turned the project over to François de Cuvilliés, who worked with such brilliant artists as Balthasar Neumann, Dominique Girard and Carlo Carlone.