Mirabel Palace
Mirabellplatz 4, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
Description:
Mirabel Palace (originally Altenau) was built in 1606 by order of Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Reitenau. The palace was intended for his mistress Salome Alt, who lived here and bore him 15 children (only 10 of them survived). After the death of Wolf Dietrich, the palace passed to his successor, Marcus von Hoenem. He gave the palace a new name, Mirabel.
In 1818, Salzburg experienced a great fire, which damaged the palace. Therefore, although the famous architect Lucas von Hildebrandt worked on the exterior of the palace, yet its modern appearance is the work of Peter de Nobel, architectural consultant and director of the Vienna School of Architecture. From the work of Hildebrandt, only a magnificent Baroque staircase and stucco over some windows remained.
Mirabel Palace is famous not so much for its appearance as for the magnificent garden, which was laid out here at the end of the XVII century. The romantic atmosphere of the palace, the lush decoration of its halls and a wonderful garden with a huge fountain surrounded by sculptures of the Elements attract lovers of romance here. Various celebrations are regularly held in the halls of the palace, including weddings. The palace is open all year round.