Orangery PalaceSplendid flora and Italian Masters

The Orangery Palace at Sanssouci was the last and largest palace building constructed in Sanssouci Park. It is an impressive example of the buildings erected by Frederick William IV, the "Romantic on the throne." The imposing structure with its plant halls and central palace, sculptures, fountains, arcades and terraces evokes the flair of southern architecture in Potsdam and manifests Frederick William IV's love of Italy in tangible form.

The ensemble was created in the years between 1851 and 1864. During the long phase of construction, the architects Ludwig Persius, August Stüler and Ludwig Ferdinand Hesse were occupied with the plans, although the king contributed a number of its designs.

In addition to the lateral plant halls, which today still serve as the winter storage for frost-sensitive tubbed plants, the over 300-meter-long building also used to house royal suites and servants' quarters. The plant halls are among the largest indoor special events locations (1000 people per hall) in the Berlin-Brandenburg region.

The central section of the three-winged palace complex encompasses the impressive Raphael Hall, with its interesting collection of more than fifty 19th century copies of paintings by Raphael, including such well-known works as the Sistine Madonna and the Transfiguration. The red silk wall coverings add to the opulence and splendor of the paintings in their gilded frames. Particularly worth noting is the Malachite Room in the guest apartments, lavishly adorned with sculptures, gilded décor and decorative arts objects.