“Porcelain Palace” of the Margravine Sibylla Augusta of Baden-Baden
Rastatt Favorite Palace, situated near Baden-Baden, is an outstanding witness to the Baroque Era. It is the only “porcelain palace” in Germany that has been almost completely preserved. Its furnishings and top-class collections are a synthesis of the arts of European stature.
The private palace of the Margravine
Sibylla Augusta was the widow of Margrave Ludwig Wilhelm, who ruled from 1677 to 1707. He built Rastatt Palace. Following his death, his widow assumed power – with great success. She added further buildings to the royal seat, including the Favorite Palace outside the city gates.
The Porcelain Palace
Here baroque interior decoration is preserved in many facets – ranging from the characteristic blue-white tiles through to the ostentatious staterooms. Fine embroideries, flower motifs and porcelain: Sibylla Augusta particularly loved these things. To house her extensive collection of ceramics, she had a building erected that was solely designed to present these fragile pieces. Today the collection, including several hundred Chinese porcelains and European faiences, still comprises some 1,500 pieces. The highlight of the Sibylla Augusta collection is the world’s largest collection of early porcelains from Meißen. The Margravine was probably one of the first customers of the Meissen Manufactory, which had been founded in 1710 – the same year that the construction of Favorite Palace began.
The devout Princess
Margravine Sibylla Augusta was devout and charitable: it is said that she gave poor children money and a piece of bread when they returned from the streams in the vicinity with pebbles for the construction of the palace. The pebbles were used for the unusual façade of the palace. While the palace has remained as a testimony of the baroque era, the garden was changed around 1800. Today, the idyllic grounds laid out in the English Landscape Garden style are still an ideal place to relax.
Rastatt Favorite Palace (Schloss Favorite Rastatt)
Am Schloss Favorite 5
76437 Rastatt-Förch
Phone +49(0)72 22.4 12 07
info@schloss-favorite-rastatt.de
