Eggenberg Palace, Graz

Eggenberg Palace
Schloss Eggenberg (in German)
Aerial view in January 2019
General information
Type	Palace
Architectural style	Gothic and Baroque
Location	Graz, Styria, Austria
Coordinates	47°04′26″N 15°23′29″E / 47.07389°N 15.39129°E / 47.07389; 15.39129
Elevation	365 m (1,198 ft)
Current tenants	Palace State Rooms, Alte Galerie, Coin Collection, Roman Stonework Collection, Archaeology Collection
Construction started	after 1460 (medieval section), 1625 (Baroque expansion)
Completed	c. 1635 (structure), 1685 (accouterments), 1762 (piano nobile)
Cost	over 105,000 guilder
Client	Universalmuseum Joanneum
Owner	The State of Styria
Height	50 m (164 ft) (central tower)
Dimensions
Diameter	65 m x 80 m (palace footprint)
Other dimensions	90,000 m² (palace grounds)
Technical details
Floor count	3
Floor area	8,000 m²
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Giovanni Pietro de Pomis
Other designers	Hans Adam Weissenkircher (court painter)
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	City of Graz – Historic Centre and Schloss Eggenberg
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iv
Designated	1999 (23rd session)
Reference no.	931bis
Region	Europe and North America
Extensions	2010 (34th session) included Schloss Eggenberg
References
Schloss Eggenberg. By Barbara Kaiser. Graz: Christian Brandstätter Verlag, 2006. ISBN 978-3-902510-80-8 Planet Eggenberg. By Hermann Götz. Graz: Leykam Medien AG, 2005.

Eggenberg Palace (German: Schloss Eggenberg) in Graz, is the most significant Baroque palace complex in the Austrian province of Styria.^[1] With its preserved accouterments, the extensive scenic gardens, as well as some special collections from the Universalmuseum Joanneum housed in the palace and surrounding park, Schloss Eggenberg ranks among the most valuable cultural treasures of Austria. Eggenberg Palace is situated at an elevation of 381 meters on the Western edge of the city.^[2] Its architectural design and the still visible imprint of centuries of history continue to bear witness to the vicissitude and patronage of the one-time mightiest dynasty in Styria, the House of Eggenberg.

In 2010, the significance of Schloss Eggenberg was recognised with an expansion to the listing of the Graz Historic Old Town among the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites.

Surrounded by walls, with a huge portal facing West, the palace is located in the Eggenberg district of Graz and can be reached by tram. The northern corner of the palace grounds features the Planetary Garden and Lapidarium of Roman stonework as well as the entrance to the new Archeology Museum,[1] which houses the Cult Wagon of Strettweg. At ground level, the palace houses a numismatic collection (Coin Cabinet)^[3] located in the former rooms of Balthasar Eggenberger, owner of the imperial minting license and operations in the Late Middle Ages. On the upper level, the Alte Galerie^[4] encompasses a large array of paintings, sculptures, and other works of art from the medieval era through the early modern period, spanning five centuries of European art history.