Margravine Sibylla Augusta, who was already a widow in 1707 at the age of 32, had a small summer residential palace, Favorite pleasure palace in Rastatt-Förch, erected according to her own ideas under the direction of the Bohemian architect Michael Ludwig Rohrer beginning in 1710.
Sibylla Augusta, a born princess of Sachsen-Lauenburg, came to Baden when she was barely 15 as the wife of "Turkish Louis", Margrave Ludwig Wilhelm von Baden-Baden (1655-1707). She brought expansive Bohemian possessions into the marriage and enabled the building of the representative Rastatt Palace with her wealth. After the death of her husband, she ruled for twenty years till her son came of age in 1727.
Her hunting and pleasure palace lies in an idyllic setting in a meadow and was the preferred summer residence of the Margravine, who was greatly appreciative of art. The hereditary prince was raised here, hunts were held and festive balls and concerts were put on here. In this sense Favorite Palace is allied with its Italian and French models. Here, far from the residential palace, she devoted herself to royal pleasures.
Favorite Rastatt Palace: View from north-west.
The three-wing palace with its colonnades, which soon served as Orangeries, and its sweeping perron on the "Beletage" (main floor) on the first upper floor is dominated by a center projection with a triangular gable. The charming gravel plasterwork of the facades is quite striking.
The building's interior is dominated by the central "Sala terrena", which extends through all floors and is crowned by a domed tower. The rectangular hall oriented toward the garden has a special floor plan: it is rounded off by four angled niches in the corners. On the Beletage an apartment is located on both sides of this central room. In addition to three state-rooms, each of these also contains a sumptuously appointed cabinet.
Sala terrena.
All rooms were realized in the extravagant wealth of the handicrafts techniques so highly esteemed in the early 18th century. These include the floors of stucco marble, walls with faience tiles, richly adorned stucco and fresco ceilings, hangings of rare embroidery on the walls and exquisite furniture. Favorite Palace is a unique Baroque artistic synthesis with a lavish flood of decorations and not only represents the taste of the sovereign, but also a suitable stately self-portrait.
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