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Les créations des princes-évêques von Schönborn en Franconie : Gaibach, Seehof, Pommersfelden, Würzburg by Emmanuel DUCAMP – Château de Bénouville
The creations of the Von Schönberg Prince-Bishops in Franconia: Gaibach, Pommersfelden, Würzburg
Germany’s present-day administrative organisation, in the form of sixteen different Länders, is largely owed to its ancient history, when it was comprised of sovereign states such as the kingdoms of Bavaria, Württemberg and Prussia and the great duchies of Baden, Saxony and Hessen. It is almost tempting to forget that Germany was split into even smaller divisions up to the early 19th century, with around three hundred administrative entities which also included free towns and ecclesiastic principalities.
The political strategies adopted by German sovereigns fully integrated these territories, the weight of which could prove decisive since certain Prince-Bishops – referred to as Kurfürst –took part in the election of the Holy Roman Emperor, in Frankfurt.
In the 18th century, the Schönborn family distinguished itself in a rather unusual manner by successfully controlling, over several generations – from uncle to nephew, the elected archbishoprics of Mainz and Trier and the bishoprics of Bamberg and Würzburg, located in Franconia, a territory which is now integrated within the Land of Bavaria.
Keen to see their courts stand out from the crowd, the Schönborn prince-bishops considerably enhanced Franconia’s architectural and landscaped heritage. Initiated by the Prince-Bishop Lothar-Franz von Schönborn, the particularly elaborate gardens of Schloss Gaibach and Schloss Seehof, now totally or partially destroyed, are known to us thanks to engravings by Salomon Kleiner; as is Pommersfelden, where Schloss Weissenstein, one of Germany’s finest monuments, has thankfully survived. Similarly, the Würzburg Residence, created in the mid 18th century for Lothar Franz’ nephew, the Prince-Bishop Johann Philipp Franz von Schönborn, houses a unique staircase – a masterpiece by Balthazar Neumann adorned with frescoes by the great Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, along with Baroque and Neoclassical interiors that were admirably restored after damage sustained during World War II.
Emmanuel Ducamp
A Law and History of Art graduate from the University of Paris X, Emmanuel Ducamp was editorial director for Alain de Gourcuff Editeur in Paris from 1992 to 2001. In this capacity, he coordinated the publication of a series of works on Russian architecture, decorative art and art in the 18th and 19th centuries. With Oleg Neverov, curator of the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, he contributed towards the production of Grandes collections de la Russie impériale and directed the publication of Tsarskoïe Selo, a major work on the palace and gardens of this Imperial summer residence. He also published Saint-Pétersbourg, a major reference book on the town and its palaces’ general history and architecture. Since gardens are one of the subjects he cherishes most, Emmanuel Ducamp has for a long time developed an interest in Imperial and aristocratic parks in Russia, of which he has also published a number of watercolours under conservation in Russian museum collections. Professor at the École du Louvre, he regularly gives conferences on Russian or French subjects in England and the United States (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; J.-Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; San Francisco Museum of Art, etc.). Member of the Association des Parcs Botaniques de France (Association of French Botanical Parks) and the Société des Amateurs de Jardins (Garden Amateurs’ Society), Emmanuel Ducamp is also president of the Association Paris-Saint-Pétersbourg, which promotes cultural exchange between France and Russia.
Further reading :
Saint-Pétersbourg, Citadelles et Mazenod, 2012
Tsarskoïe Selo, Swan Editeur, 2010 et Thames & Hudson, 2012
Grandes collections de la Russie impériale, Flammarion, 2004