If you have a passion for jewelry, you must visit the Green Arches, Europe's largest treasure trove of objects from the Renaissance to the Classical period. There is a collection of one-of-a-kind jewelry that belonged to crowned heads, jewel-encrusted household items, and family heirlooms. The museum's exposition is so fascinating that only rapturous sighs can be heard when tourists leave: luxury and wealth intoxicate the mind. Don't be afraid to be enchanted and dazzled by the splendor of the collection; if you don't include a visit to this museum in your tourist itinerary, it could be your mistake.
Green Arches: Historical Background
The museum has its origins in a secret treasury of jewelry created in the 16th century. This place was created not to present jewelry to the general public, but to protect it from fire. Thanks to this method, valuable items have survived to this day.
Augustus the Strong in 1723 ordered the building to be annexed to the Green Vaults and a Kunstkammer to be built there, where all the available jewels would be exhibited. The architect of the building was Matthews Daniel Peppelman, who designed the eight adjoining rooms in the Baroque style. The museum retained this appearance until the 20th century.
In 1945, during the bombing of Dresden by the Soviets, three of the treasury halls were completely destroyed. Fortunately, they were empty: at the beginning of the war, all the exhibits were hidden in the dungeon of the fortress of Keginstein. After the end of the Second World War valuable items were taken to the USSR as trophies and were returned to Germany in 1958.
The period of reconstruction of the historical museum building began and it opened its doors on September 1, 2006. The interiors were restored according to the drawings of 1733.
Treasure Disclosure
A total of 4,000 exhibits are in the museum's collection, including:
- The Moor with Emerald Ore, a 64 cm high sculpture decorated with sapphires, rubies, topaz, almandine and garnets.
- The composition "Palace Reception in Delhi on the Birthday of the Great Mogul Aurangzeb" is a reflection of the ideas and associations of European monarchs about the palace of the Mughals. The composition is 58x142x114 centimeters in size and is decorated with 5,223 diamonds, 189 rubies, 175 emeralds, and many other precious stones.
- The Obelisk of Augustus is a cartouche with the portrait of Augustus the Strong, 2.3 meters high. The cost of the piece today is equal to the cost of the palace.
- The Diana Bathtub is a decorative bathtub bowl with the image of the ancient goddess. It is made of gold, decorated with enamel, diamonds, rubies, sapphires, etc.
- Gold coffee set from the beginning of the 18th century.
Interesting Facts
- Among the buildings built under Augustus the Strong, in addition to the Museum of Green Arches, are the Museum of Physics and Mathematics and the Armory.
- The reconstruction of the museum complex cost the government 45 million euros.
- Each year the museum accommodates 200,000 people.
- Of the collection of 4,000 works, 1,100 are exhibited. The main reason is the lack of space.
