Würzburg
We awoke this morning in Würzburg with this view from our cabin. On the hillside was the Kapelle, a pilgrim church.
Our cabin view just forward from the ship was of the Marienburg Fortress.
The fortress is from 1200. In 1631 the massive walls were built to protect the Marienberg. In 1945 the fortress was almost completely burned out, and its reconstruction was only completed in 1990.
The Kapelle again.
Our city tour began with a bus ride to the Residenz, pictured here and in the header above. Originally designed for Prince-Bishop Johann Philipp Franz von Schönborn, it took sixty years to complete. The shell of the palace was built from 1720 to 1744 and the interior finished in 1780.
We were not allowed to photograph inside, but I was able to find a few photos. This is of the vestibule which was large enough to allow carriages to be driven in and turned around.
The great staircase, roofed by an unsupported vault, was decorated in 1752/53 by the Venetian Giovanni Battista Tiepolo with a ceiling fresco representing the four continents. The painting, measuring over 60 x 100 feet, is one of the largest frescos ever created.
This is the elegant White Room.
Old Town
This is a view of the main street, with the Town Hall to the left and the Dom at the end of the street.
This is the Dom (St. Killian's Cathedral) from the rear.
The nave is kept dark, representing the Dark Ages, and the progression is toward the light area above the altar, representing the Second Coming of Christ.
A closeup of the statue of Christ above the altar.
At a nearby marketplace, the Marienkapelle (1377-1479; restored after 1945), the finest Late Gothic building in Würzburg.
A side view of the Marienkapelle.
An interior view.
A model of the destruction after the 1945 bombing of Würzburg. Note the remains of the Dom at the right center and the Marienkapelle towards the top at the left of center.
More views of the fortress in the afternoon.
A view at sunset.
A night view of the fortress.
A view of the pilgrim church on the opposite hill.
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