Description of the attraction
Müstergasse is often referred to as Bolzano's former “Millionaire Street”. Over the years, she bore different names - Müstergasse, Herrengasse, Rainergasse and, finally, Müstergasse again. In the 18th century, it was one of the most elegant streets in the city. Before the old city walls were demolished in 1277, Müstergasse was an ordinary street on the very outskirts of Bolzano, and after this significant event it became a natural continuation of the medieval center and soon turned into the most prestigious street in the city, on which many wealthy merchants built their residence.
Müstergasse acquired its present appearance in the 17th and 18th centuries. Wealthy merchants and noble residents of the city bought houses here and turned them into their luxurious dwellings, most often adding baroque or late classical facades to the buildings. And these modest baroque facades hid truly magnificent interiors. Such residences were called "Pale", and each of them had its own history - Pale Menz (now a bank), Pale Campofranco (today it houses the Goethe Gallery), Pale Pok (occupied today by an insurance company). With the exception of the Palais Menz, which can be viewed every Wednesday, all other residences are open to tourists only once a year.
After the end of the First World War, Mustergasse began to decline and partially lost its former splendor. Most of the beautiful buildings were sold, later offices and commercial enterprises were opened in them.
Nevertheless, some of these palaces still attract attention today. Thus, Palais Campofranco was originally the residence of the Florentine family of bankers Cocci-Botch, and in the 19th century it housed the residence of the Austrian Archduke Rainer and his granddaughter, Princess Campofranco.
Palais Menz was built in 1670, and almost a hundred years later it was acquired by the Menz family - noble merchants from Bolzano. On their initiative, the building was significantly rebuilt. A dance room with rococo frescoes by Carl Enrici between 1776 and 1784 has survived to this day. Enrici in those years was considered the best painter in Bolzano, and he was ordered a cycle of frescoes specially for the wedding of the youngest son of the Menz family - George Paolo with Clara Amorth. The ceiling of the hall is decorated with images of cupids, and on the walls you can see ancient deities, Neptune, Pluto, Bacchus. It also depicts groups of dancing people against the backdrop of a calm landscape - a typical example of Baroque art, primarily Venetian.
There is another gem in the Palais Menz - works of oriental art, primarily Chinese, which was extremely popular at the end of the 18th century. In addition to Chinese objects, you can see Peruvian, Indian and other fabrics depicting exotic plants and surreal birds. Today, the Palais Menz houses a bank, but upon request, the frescoed hall on the ground floor can be viewed.
