Hofmarstallschwemme - Salzburg, Austria
N 47° 47.963 E 013° 02.431
33T E 353268 N 5295861
The Hofmarstallschwemme is a horse bath/horse pond/horse well (German: Pferdeschwemme) located in Salzburg, Austria. It is located next to the Festival Halls.
Waymark Code: WMMGGZ
Location: Salzburg, Austria
Date Posted: 09/17/2014
Views: 14
"There are two Pferdeschwemmen or horse wells left in Salzburg: one on the Kapitelplatz between St. Peter Abbey and the Salzburg Dom called Kapitelschwemme, and a bigger one next to the Festival Halls.
The one next to the festival halls and the Neutor served the court stables that - which actually were what are now the Festival Halls, thus the name "Hofstallgasse" or "Court stable lane" for the street.
Just as the stables, the Pferdeschwemme was built by Fischer von Erlach, who is also responsible for the Trinity Church, the Kollegienkirche and the Markuskirche. In any sense, von Erlach shaped Salzburg during its Baroque peak.
The centre of the well is decorated by a statue named "Der Rossebändiger" ("the horse whisperer" - joke, actually something like "The horse tamer"). It was made by Michael Bernhard Mandl as was originally differently oriented.
In 1732, Prince Archbishop Firmian ordered the renovation of the Pferdeschwemme. The statue was shifted by 90 degrees and lifted a bit and new frescos were painted by Josef Ebner after drawings by Stradanus."
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"Hugging the side of Mönchsberg Hill is one of Salzburg's public fountains which once served as a Medieval horse bath. The baths were basically car washes for horses in the Middle Ages and in the Sound of Music is where Maria and the kids dance around while singing 'My Favorite Things'. This Horse Bath called Pferdeschwemme, with is its long muraled facade, is the larger of the two in Salzburg."
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"It was a luxurious pond, where the watering and washing of horses took place. The pond dates to 1732, when a new fountain was built. The ramp used by the horses to access the pond, leads straight up to the group of figures which include Neptune, God of the sea which is holding a trident and crown whilst mounted on a seahorse spurting water."
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