Now we will be stepping inside the most momentous building on Herrengasse – Das Landhaus. The name means “The House of the Land”, the land being Styria, as one of the provinces (lands) of Austria. I strongly suggest, if you ever in Graz, to visit Landhaus. This is the most significant Renaissance building in the city, and one of the most important historically. Its history started in 1494, when Styrian Landtag (“the Council of the Land”, the provincial parliament), being tired of moving from one castle or monastery to another, decided to set shop in the capital. They acquired a town house a block away from the main squire, and then for a half-century kept buying and rebuilding the surrounding houses, until they owned the whole city block. That’s when it was time to start something big, which would, first, reflect the prestige of Landtag, and, second, scoff those dukes sitting in Schlossberg Castle. (The Styrian parliament was traditionally Protestant, while the Dukes were Catholic, so the rivalry never seized). So, in 1555, Landtag commissioned an Italian fortress builder Domenico dell’Allio, who created the main part of Landhaus, the Main Wing, facing Herrengasse, and the large arcade courtyard. (By the way, that scoffing of the dukes totally worked – after seeing dell’Allio’s work on Landhaus, they commissioned him to expand their Schlossberg fortress).
Dell’Allio’s trademark motif, brought over from his home country – coupled arched windows with pilasters, which we saw in the previous gallery, became popular in palace construction in Styria and other Austrian lands, making Landhaus the “progenitor” of the Renaissance architecture in this part of the world. Dell’Allio’s building was connected to two other, already existing, wings, making up the current configuration of Landhaus. In the oldest of those wings, the Chamber wing, 56 members of Styrian Parliament still hold their sessions. And they still abide by the rules for the House, posted on a large wooden board at the entrance (remember, I pointed it out to you in the previous gallery?): “No bread knives or daggers, and no fighting, hitting, or slapping people in the face”.
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The first courtyard we step into is called "The Large Courtyard". When we turn back, we see the part of the complex, which is facing Herengasse on the other side (see the turret?). This is the third oldest part of the building, the Main Wing, constructed in 1557-64. The inner side of the Main Wing is decorated with the Tuscan-style arcades with pillars and balustrades. Also notice one of the two copper gargoyles in the shape of a dragon head. The Large Courtyard, which originally was open on one side, was eventually closed off by this two-story gallery, constructed only in 1890, but made look like the Tuscan arcades of the adjacent building, in order to keep the whole ensemble appearance in the Renaissance style.[Just playing with Photoshop for a dramatic effect]That "newish" arcade connects the Main Wing with the oldest part of the complex, built in the very beginning of 1500s. It is called "The Chamber Wing", since this is where the Landtag Chamber is located. In front of that old wing, there is a fountain (or rather, a well), covered with a wrought-iron canopy. The intricate lace of the canopy is woven of the figures of Nereids, fish, little cupids, and vine leaves, and it is crowned by the figure of a knight. Which also looks like a paunchy cupid in the armour, to be honest. This beautiful canopy is designed in the Mannerism style, that is, "in the manner of" the Renaissance artists - Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, and such. It is dated "1590" right on the thing. They say, it is one of the most important iron works of Mannerism north of the Alps (as in, outside Italy).Now, look at the building. It is very easy to distinguish the Chamber Wing from the Main Wing. While the latter is Renaissance, as we established, the former looks definitely baroque, as it is very evident here. However, this is not the original look of the building. It was remodeled in the baroque style in mid-1700s. [Note, in this 1995 image, the architraves (the decorations around the windows) look different from the previous picture, taken in 2017.]When I visited Landhaus in 2017, I got treated to a little concert by a folk singing troupe. Above their heads, you can see a row of the stone plaques on the wall, which depict the coats of arms of 6 noble families, whose scions had the right to sit in the Styrian Estates in 1500s. [Click on "View Original" under ⓘ to see better].Let′s keep looking around the Large Courtyard, clockwise. Next to the Chamber Wing, where it connects to the Main Wing, we see the Chapel. It′s about a century younger than the Chamber Wing (it was consecrated in 1631). Before the Chapel, there was a tower here with a spiral staircase used to reach the upper floors of the building behind it. The tower was built at the same time as the Chamber Wing, but it had to be demolished due to the faults in the foundation. That faulty foundation (after the proper mending, I hope) was used for the Chapel. Since getting to the upper floors was still a thing, they had to build the new staircase adjacent to the Chapel. Right under that staircase we see one of the modern additions to the Landhaus ensemble - a statue of "a faun looking out". At least, that the literal translation of the statue′s name from German.Next, we are moving to the adjacent courtyard, called the Small Courtyard, which is really quite small. It is encircled by the Knights′ Hall Wing, the second-oldest building in the complex (just several years younger than the Chamber Wing). The facade you see here is in the Neo-Renaissance style, the result of the extensive reconstruction in 1700s.The Chamber Wing is also looking into the Small Courtyard with its rear. This side is pretty much the same as the front, it′s just the colour palette is a bit different.Speaking of rear. The other side of the Knights′ Hall Wing, its facade actually, is facing Landhausgasse (Landhaus Street). What we see here is the result of the redesign in the neo-Renaissance style, with windows mimicking dell′Allio′s creations on the Herregasse′s side. The plaques are the coats of arms of the main cities of Styria.And this is the holy of holies of the Landhaus - the Chamber of the Landtag, located in the namesake wing. What we see here, in this grainy photo from 2004, is the result of the remodeling in mid-1700s, 200 years from the original construction. This is why everything is baroque - the rich ceiling stucco, embellished with the initials of the then-Emperor Charles VI and the "Styrian panther" from the provincial coat of arms; ... ⇨ ... the two huge baroque stoves covered with gilded faience tiles, also with country and state symbols; the paintings over the doors with allegorical female figures of Magnanimity, Prosperity, Justice, and Wisdom. The big painting behind the seat of the President of the State Parliament was traditionally a portrait the current ruling monarch. Now it′s an allegory of peace. [As you notice in this 2017 picture, they′ve updated the seats since the previous 2004 one. And they′ve put in a watercooler, too!]Even the window apertures are so very baroque in this chamber. Notice a very "Italian" view on the Main Wing′s Tuscan arcades in the Large Courtyard, where this window is facing. Since the Chamber occupies the whole floor of the Chamber Wing, it faces courtyards on both side - Large, and Small.Even the door nobs on the entrance doors of the Chamber are baroque... Press ESC to exit
