From Gift to Grandeur: The Transformation of Nymphenburg Palace

In 1663, to celebrate the birth of the long-awaited heir Max Emanuel, Bavarian Elector Ferdinand Maria gifted his wife Henriette Adelaide the estate of Schwaige Kemnat, located to the west of Munich. Here, the Electress envisioned and established her “borgo delle ninfe,” a summer residence surrounded by charming gardens. Starting in 1701, Max Emanuel expanded the palace, redesigned the gardens, and commissioned a canal to channel water from the Würm into the park. However, all work came to a halt in 1704 when Max Emanuel was forced to leave Bavaria after his defeat in the War of the Spanish Succession.