King Wilhelm I von Württemberg had the country palace Rosenstein built in 1824 - 1829 on the "Kahlenstein" in the idyllic countryside above the Neckar river. From here there is an excellent view of far-off Württemberg Mountain, the seat of the former Württemberg ancestral castle and today the site of the Sepulchral Chapel (Grabkapelle) of the first wife of Wilhelm I, Katharina, and into the Neckar valley. In contrast to the city location, there was still sufficient space for a new palace project here as well as for the neighboring Wilhelma.
At first, still under King Friedrich von Württemberg, the sycamore avenue from the Stuttgart Palace Garden (Schlossgarten) was extended up to this rise in 1810.
Following numerous drafts for the country palace, the design of the Court Architect Giovanni Salucci was finally realized. Rosenstein palace is a single-story, classicistic rectangular building grouped around two patios. Three columned porticos dominate the facade, and their gabled triangles contain reliefs with depictions of gods. A pond and a copy of Dannecker's nymph group are positioned in front of the entrance area.
In the Center Building (Mittelbau) there was a Banquet Hall (Festsaal) with friezes on the inside depicting the occupation of the rural population during the four seasons. The princesses lived in the western wing of the palace, the royal couple in the eastern wing. Crown Prince Karl lived on the mezzanine floor over the Banquet Hall. In May 1830 the palace decorated with French furniture was festively opened. The King put together an important collection of paintings for Rosenstein Palace. Usually the rooms were used for day trips and festivities. In the Center Building (Mittelbau) there was a Banquet Hall (Festsaal) with friezes on the inside depicting the occupation of the rural population during the four seasons. The princesses lived in the western wing of the palace, the royal couple in the eastern wing. Crown Prince Karl lived on the mezzanine floor over the Banquet Hall. In May 1830 the palace decorated with French furniture was festively opened. The King put together an important collection of paintings for Rosenstein Palace. Usually the rooms were used for day trips and festivities.
Access to the terrace was provided from each room, and from there to the landscape park laid out at the same time as the palace. This English garden was laid out according to drafts from John Papworth and Johann Wilhelm Bosch. The park also included a model agricultural operation with animal husbandry and a dairy farm. Despite the reduction of the park grounds by traffic and small industry, today the citizens of Stuttgart and their guests still enjoy a classic English landscape garden, which gives the impression of vastness, unaffected nature and interesting visual relationships in the countryside. The choice, and in some cases exotic, stands of trees, meadow areas, hills and lakes define the appearance of Rosenstein Park.
King Wilhelm died in 1864 at Rosenstein Palace. His son Karl had a geometric garden with access galleries laid out on the south-eastern side of the villa, which was recreated in 1977 in the form of a rose garden. King Karl had the collection of paintings opened to the public in 1877. Following World War I the entire inventory of the palace was sold at auction. During World War II Rosenstein Palace was gutted by fire in 1944. It was rebuilt in a modern style on the interior and today is used by the State Museum for Natural History (Staatlichen Museum für Naturkunde).
|
|
|