Ottheinrichsbau

Heidelberger Schloss - Heidelberg Castle. Ottheinrichsbau. The elaborate decorative figures on the façade were created by sculptor Alexander Colin (1526–1612). The statues are an array of mythological figures, Christian figures, and virtues. Ottheinrich (1502-1559), Elector Palatine, appears on the disc above the main portal, below a figure of Caritas. "The Otto-Henrich-Bau, begun in 1556, the finest example of German early-Renaissance style, rises in three stories, partly of the Ionic and partly of the Corinthian order, with a strong emphasis on horizontal lines. ... The whole façade is richly adorned with beautiful sculptures, all recently restored. ... In the niches of the façade are a number of statues, all having symbolical meaning after the fashion of the Renaissance. In the four lower niches are Joshua, Samson, Hercules and David; in the middle niches, allegorical figures of Strength, Justice, Faith, Charity, and Hope; in the upper niches Saturn, Mars, Venus, Mercury, Diana, Apollo, and Jupiter, or the seven gods of the planets."--Baedeker 1911. IMG_1187