  Schloss Mirabell, Salzburg, Austria
Schloss Mirabell is a beautiful Baroque palace in Salzburg, Austria. It is located in Mirabellplatz, on the right bank of the Salzach River, across from the Old Town, but is also within the World Heritage Site.
Schloss Mirabell was originally known as Schloß Altenau. It was built by Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau in 1606 for his mistress Salome Alt. The daughter of a Jewish merchant, she is said to have borne the archbishop 15 children. He referred to her as his wife. The palace got its name from his successor, Prince Archbishop Markus Sittikus, who called it Mirabell, meaning "beautiful view".
Schloss Mirabell, Salzburg
Author: Steveurkel (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0)
Schloss Mirabell with Salzburg Cathedral and Festung Hohensalzburg in the distance
Author: Andrew Bossi (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5)
Interior of Schloss Mirabell, Salzburg
Author: Andrew Bossi (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5)
Angel Staircase, Schloss Mirabell, Salzburg
Author: Andrew Bossi (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5)
Some of the scenes in the movie The Sound of Music was shot at Schloss Mirabell, including the one where the children and Maria sang Do-Re-Mi.
Schloss Mirabell is also famous for its well laid-out garden. There are mythology-themed statues that were placed here in 1730, and four groups of sculptures, of Eneas, Hercules, Paris and Pluton. They were created by Italian sculptor Ottavio Mosto, around 1690.
The palace was rebuilt in 1727 by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt for Archbishop Franz Anton Harrach, as a luxurious Baroque residence. The west wing of Schloss Mirabell has the most ornate façade. A fire in 1816 destroyed part of the building, but fortunately the Angels Staircase, which is based on the original staircase at Schloß Altenau, was saved.
Today Schloss Mirabell serves as a civic administrative building. Its beautiful garden by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach makes it one of the most visited attraction in Salzburg.
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