Tour the Residenz Kempten in Bavaria to admire its early rococo and baroque architecture and precious frescoes and sculptures. This bright white-and-yellow building, with its many windows, corner tower and Bavarian tiled roof, is one of the region’s finest.
In 1651, the Abbot of Kempten, Roman Giel von Gielsberg, resurrected the town’s medieval Benedictine Monastery. He commissioned a basilica with an attached residence to serve both as a princely seat and as a monastery. The original abbey dated back to 750 but was destroyed in the Thirty Years' War between the Catholic and Protestant states of the Holy Roman Empire.
Anselm von Reichlin-Meldegg, another prince-abbot, took his time to furnish the rooms from 1732 onwards. His taste in interior design is what makes the building so special today. The ceiling paintings he chose include biblical references, his coat of arms and the monastery’s benefactors, Hildegard of the Vinzgau and her husband Charlemagne.
To look around inside the Residenz Kempten you will need to join a tour, which will take you through eight ornate rooms. Each space is unique and wonderful, but the Bavarian rococo-style Throne Hall (Thronsaal) and Showroom (Prunkräume) are by far the most impressive. Features include marble walls, a wooden floor, gilded doors and ceilings, chubby “putti” (sculptures of angelic babies with wings), heavy mirrors, glass chandeliers and intricate wall and ceiling painting.
The other rooms, such as the antechamber, audience room and bedrooms, are in the late French Regency style that followed rococo.
Residenz Kempten, locally known as Fürstäbtliche Residenz (Princely Residence), sits next to the St. Lawrence Basilica and central market square, so you can’t miss it. The mandatory guided tours take place every 45 minutes. Be aware that some guides only speak German. Photography is permitted if you turn off the flash.
The Westhof, the courtyard of the building, sometimes hosts concerts in summer. Any other night the Residenz Café opposite the street provides some evening entertainment.
