Detail of the lapidarium at Ludwigsburg Residential Palace

Stone gods and heroesThe lapidarium

They once decorated the roofs, gables and gardens of this Baroque residence. Now they are protected and displayed in the lapidarium at Ludwigsburg Residential Palace and can be viewed up close: the larger-than-life sandstone sculptures of gods, heroes, nymphs and mythical creatures.

Sculptures in the lapidarium at Ludwigsburg Residential Palace

Larger than life and carved out of stone.

Protected from wind and weather

They withstood much over the centuries. The light sandstone out of which these outdoor figures were carved suffered at the hands of environmental effects and weathering for more than 200 years. To protect them for further ruin, they were replaced with replicas. The original masterpieces found a new home in the former silver chamber on the ground floor of the new central building. The two garden rooms, with arched ceilings provide a suitable architectural setting for the lapidarium.

Baroque sculptural masterpieces

Although the sandstone sculptures on the roofs of Ludwigsburg Residential Palace were only ever seen from a distance, they were of the highest artistic quality. They were created by important sculptors from the Württemberg court, such as Andreas Philipp Quittainer, Carlo and Giorgio Feretti, Christian Friedrich Wilhelm Beyer, and Pierre François Lejeune. The exhibition offers a look at the striking beauty of these Baroque sculptures, from the original construction of the palace through the end of the 18th century.