Die Allegorien im Festsaal von Schloss Hellbrunnn und die Orpheus-Grotte - reine Dekoration?

More recently, Mannerist villas such as Hellbrunn, with their trick fountains and automata, have been compared to modern amusement parks. However, the allegorical figures in painting and sculpture played a more significant role in the political and religious propaganda than previously assumed.The interpretation of the allegorical paintings in the ceremonial hall («Festsaal») of the palace built by Prince-Archbishop Markus Sittikus has long been a subject of debate concerning certain depicted figures. While the connection to references from Cesare Ripa's Iconologia was recognized early on, the presence of an overarching program has been called into question. As will be demonstrated, the previous analysis of the allegorical personifications falls short. The conceptual and historical context of the images becomes fully apparent only when considering the explanatory texts by Cesare Ripa, which served as the source for the imagery.The paintings by Donato (Fra Arsenio) Mascagni exhibit a representation of emerging absolutist thought in line with the Counter-Reformation period. The images are deliberately employed to convey a politically ethical and religious message. Mascagni draws upon the concept of «Ragione di Stato», aligning with contemporary Christian political doctrines that explicitly oppose the teachings of Niccolò Machiavelli. The use of Ripa's painting templates and, in particular, the archbishop's motto situates the ceremonial hall within the tradition of Neoplatonic Renaissance philosophy, which rejects the materialistic worldview of Lucretius and evokes late echoes in the post-Tridentine era. A comparative analysis of the influences of religious and philosophical concepts in the Mannerist garden complexes is still outstanding. In the case of the Orpheus Grotto in Hellbrunn, with its unique combination of Orpheus and the motif of the «sleeping nymph», these influences can be well substantiated due to their connection to the motto in the «Festsaal».&nbsp