The Salzburg Residenz Palace in the Old Town is an important sight of Salzburg, a museum and striking event venue

Today, the Salzburg Residenz Palace is an event venue, a museum and important sight with its state rooms and the Residenz gallery. Formerly, the Prince Archbishops of Salzburg resided here and controlled the fate of the country until the 19^th century.

The bishop’s palace was first mentioned in a document in 1120. In the 12^th century, Konrad I. Bishop of Salzburg moved his living quarters outside of St. Peter’s Abbey and instigated the construction of a bishop’s see. After several alterations and expansions, Prince Archbishop Wolfgang Dietrich had the building partially demolished in 1597 in order to make space for a reconstruction in the style of the late renaissance. In the following centuries, the Residenz saw continuous remodelling as every archbishop wanted to leave his own mark on the palace.

After the end of the archbishopric in 1806, members of the Austrian imperial dynasty lived in the palace until 1918. The Residenz Palace was used to demonstrate royal prestige and receive guests of state until the early 20^th century. The most notable guest was Emperor Napoleon III who visited Salzburg with his wife Eugénie and was received by the Austrian Emperor Franz Josef and Empress Elisabeth.

The total of 180 rooms in the palace are distributed around four courtyards

• The main courtyard
• The courtyard of the Tuscany Wing
• The courtyard of the former Dietrichsruh
• The small courtyard of the Wallis Wing

The main entrance to the Residenz, which also leads to the state rooms, is located in the main courtyard.

The 15 state rooms in the Salzburg Residenz Palace were used to represent status and served as the archbishops’ living quarters.

The palace’s largest room is the Carabinierisaal (= Carabinieri ball room). It was built in the 17^th century and received its name in reference to the bishop’s household guard. The ceiling of the Carabinierisaal is decorated with an impressive fresco.

The Rittersaal (= knight’s room) is a popular venue for chamber music performances as it has exceptional acoustics. This was never a secret, as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart gave the first performance of his violin concert in A major in 1775 in this room.

The various other state rooms with their splendid décor can be visited on the palace tour through DomQuartier.

The Residenz Gallery is along with the state rooms also part of the DomQuartier Salzburg. The gallery exhibits a collection of paintings from the 16^th to 18^th century as well as from Austrian painters of the 19^th century.

Already in 1772, a collection of paintings was exhibited in the Residenz in the same rooms as today. In 1923, upon suggestion of several Salzburg artists, the Residenz Gallery was opened. The intention was to provide cultural appeal along with the Salzburg Festival and to promote the arts in Salzburg.

The Residenz Gallery can also be visited on the tour of the DomQuartier.

Nowadays, the Residenz is still an important building complex in Salzburg. For example, the Tuscany Wing is part of the university’s law faculty. Receptions, conferences and congresses also take place in the palace, e.g. in the Carabinierisaal. Several rooms with outstanding acoustics can serve as concert venues.

Since 2014, the Residenz has been part of the DomQuartier and can be visited and explored on a unique museum tour.