Orangery Palace in Sanssouci Park

The Orangery Palace, at 300 meters in length, is one of the larger palaces in Sanssouci Park. As in all his buildings, Frederick William IV's longing for Italy is clearly evident in this palace. He drew inspiration from, among other places, the Villa Medici in Rome and the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. While the wings of the building stand empty in the summer, then as now, they still serve as a warm shelter for the subtropical potted plants from the park during the winter. The central section housed a guest apartment, which the king had specially furnished for his sister Charlotte. The jewel of the Orangery Palace is the Raphael Hall. This two-story gallery hall contains over 50 copies of paintings by the Renaissance painter Raphael (1483–1520). The Raphael Hall occasionally serves as a stylish setting for concerts. The towers and tower galleries of the palace offer magnificent views over Sanssouci Park, the mill, and the Bornstedt Crown Estate. The Orangery Palace is currently closed for renovations.