Neuschwanstein Castle . Located in Germany it is one of those castles that seem haunted. Built by Louis II of Bavaria in the mid- nineteenth century , at a time when fortresses were not necessary, it was strongly criticized for the insolvency of the German government at that time.
Neoclassical in style, the king imposed some extravagant rules for its construction such that its workers were only from Bavaria, and that the materials with which it was built were only from the same region. In addition, his inspiration came from Wagner’s fantasy tales and operas that had inspired him so much in his youth. Neuschwanstein represents both the architectural style inspired by King Louis II, romanticism and his enthusiasm for Richard Wagner
Building
Its construction was started by King Ludwing (Louis II) of Bavaria, known as Ludwing the Madman, in 1869 . The design is due to the architect Christian Jank. Ludwing asked his architect to be built entirely with Bavarian raw materials and by Bavarian inhabitants
History
Located in Bavaria near Füssen , Germany, Neushwanstein Castle (“New Swan Stone ” in German) is one of the best known Neo-Gothic castles. Commissioned by Louis II of Bavaria in 1866 , it was originally known as the new Hohenschwangau, in honor of the place where the king spent much of his childhood . Its name was changed after the death of the king. It is the most photographed building in Germany and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in that country.
Neuschwanstein Castle was built at a time when castles and fortresses were not strategically necessary. Instead, it was born out of sheer fantasy: a beautiful, romantic composition of towers and walls in perfect harmony with the mountains and lakes.
The beauty of its architecture forms a perfect harmony with the natural environment in which it sits. An idyllic, dreamlike, fairytale landscape. It was the castle in which Walt Disney was inspired to draw the castle of “ Sleeping Beauty ”. The entire region is surrounded by beautiful Alpine mountains , waterfalls and mirrored lakes.
The descendants of Louis II sold the castle to the Bavarian government, later passing to the German. The amount they sold it for equals the current annual income the castle earns from tourists who come to visit it. Today it is owned by the State of Bavaria. about 1.3 million people annually visit “the castle of the fairy tale king.” In summer, more than 6,000 visitors crowd daily for rooms that were intended for a single resident.
Description
Neuschwanstein has 360 rooms, and only 14 have a fully finished design with an incredibly luxurious decoration, the others were left unfinished, since Ludwing was deposed as king, in 1886 , and soon died mysteriously. The ostentatious decoration to the extreme is carried out by the paintings and tapestries inspired by the operas of Wagner, a favorite composer of King Louis II, the large crystal lamps and the gold-plated furniture. The castle was opened to the public shortly after.
Inside
The inside of the castle is amazing. Although up to 200 rooms and halls had been designed, only 15 were completed. On the first floor there are all the rooms and service rooms and the king’s rooms on the upper floor. Above there is the singers’ room and the throne room. The singers’ hall is the largest room in the castle and was the favorite project in the castle of King Louis II. The living room is decorated with Lohengrin and Perceval themes and arches. Although Louis II never designed this space as a venue for concerts, the hall is currently used for concerts with music by Wagner.
The throne room is also a spectacular hall with columns painted in gold and other colors that occupies two levels in the castle. The throne place is painted with the image of Jesus and the 12 apostles. The impressive chandelier in this room is inspired by Byzantine art. This room wanted to represent, according to the original design of Louis II, the divine power of kings and the demonstration of their power without restrictions and did so by merging the throne room with the Grail room of Parsival. Another curious room in the castle is that of the grotto, equipped with an artificial waterfall and a rainbow-making system. This small room represents the Hörselberg grotto from Wagner Tannhäuser’s opera based on the Teutonic legend about Venusberg.