The Snell Family | Gallery | Photos | Germany | May | 2018

The Residenz in central Munich is the former royal palace of the Wittelsbach monarchs of Bavaria. The Residenz is the largest city palace in Germany and is today open to visitors for its architecture, room decorations, and displays from the former royal collections.

The Antiquarium, or Hall of Antiquities was built in 1568 to hold a collection of antiques but was later turned into a banqueting hall (along with other uses over the years).

The Green Gallery has green silk damask walls and gold embellishing. It was once used as a ballroom as well as a gallery for mirrors and paintings.

There are also several little chapels in residence museum that the royals used for their own private mass. In the Hofkapelle, Royalty was able to watch mass from the gallery which overlooked the chapel below where members of the court worshiped.

The Ahnengalerie or Ancestral Gallery, which displayed over 100 portraits of the Wittelsbach family dynasty, each framed by delicate gilded, golden frames on the walls.

Part of the Bavarian Crown Jewels.

Drinking game "Diana with stag".

The Cuvilliés Theatre, after its architect, François Cuvilliés the Elder, consists of the auditorium of a theatre that Elector Maximilian Joseph III built in 1751-55 as his "new opera house". Originally reserved exclusively for members of court, the theatre lay in close proximity to the Residence. Many lavish opera productions were mounted here, including the first performances of Mozart's Idomeneo, in 1781.

Residenz Museum