Italy in Potsdam
Hardly any other German city has been more influenced by a longing for Italy, with its gentle landscapes and southern sun, than Potsdam. Those who built this city on the River Havel wanted it to reflect the flair, lightness and beauty of Italian cities.
“In my father's time, Potsdam was a miserable backwater. (...) I have chosen the plans of the most beautiful buildings in Europe, especially Italy, and am having them implemented on a small scale and according to my means,” wrote Frederick the Second in 1758 about his efforts to lend worldly splendour to his residential seat. Not only did Frederick the Second, better known to us as Frederick the Great, make a major contribution. So did his grandson, Frederick William the Fourth. Aspects of Italy can be found in many views in Potsdam.
Spoken by TV host Günther Jauch, the Barberini App's audio tour Italy in Potsdam invites you to discover 30 buildings and works of art around the Museum Barberini that were created in the 18th and 19th centuries based on Italian models.
The app also features images of the buildings and works in Italy. In direct comparison with their Potsdam counterparts, you'll notice amazing parallels. You can already discover some of the stops here on the website. To listen to the entire tour, simply download the free Barberini App.
The city tour Italy in Potsdam was created on the occasion of the exhibition Baroque Pathways (2019) of the Museum Barberini, in cooperation with the Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg.
Sebastian Bolesch
