city TRIP

dresden

After the air raids of the Second World War almost completely burned down the city centre of Dresden and rubble and ashes were the only things that remained of the former royal seat, it is all the more impressive how much eagerness and will is still being put into the reconstruction and rebuilding of important historical monuments. And with the restoration, the history of art is also experiencing a renaissance, once again elevating Dresden to an ode to beauty.

Proudly and elegantly enthroned on the Elbe, the city has been a magnet for artists and romantics for centuries. Saxony's historic capital is often called "Florence on the Elbe" because of its beauty and the influence of Italian Baroque architects. Both the architecture and the cityscape are very similar. Inspired by the Florentine art of building, Dresden experienced its climax in the Baroque era. The best-known example is the Frauenkirche with its stone dome – formerly the only one north of the Alps. And the cathedral of Florence also has a stone dome. The sculptor Balthasar Permoser, who was instrumental in creating the image of the Dresden Zwinger, lived and studied in Florence before he implemented his professional studies for the Saxon court. But also the builders of the Dresden Lodge House, Palais Kaskel-Oppenheim, Villa Rosa, the Catholic Court Church or the Semper Gallery were inspired by the Florentine architecture. Little by little the magnificent townscape on the Elbe was created. The comparison of Dresden with Florence is therefore absolutely permitted and a mistaken identity is forgiven.

And when the sun rises over the city in the morning, bathing its richly decorated domes in golden light and transforming the Elbe into a glittering ribbon, one understands why more and more people are drawn to this enchantingly beautiful "Florence on the Elbe“.

Germany, June 2020. | All words and photos by The Sturgheons.