The palatial mansion of the Fugger banking family, built between 1512 and 1515 on the Maximilianstrasse. It is one of the earliest examples of Italian Renaissance palace architecture in Germany: symmetrical courtyard design, round-arched arcades, and classical detailing that stood in stark contrast to the Gothic architecture of the period. The interior courtyards are accessible to visitors and retain much of their original character. The building still serves commercial purposes — entry is free and unrestricted during business hours. One of the finest Renaissance interiors in Bavaria.
Fuggerhäuser
The Fugger family's Renaissance mansion, built 1512–1515, with Italy's influence stamped on every façade
A story
Jakob Fugger commissioned the Fuggerhäuser in 1512, and the result was the first Renaissance palace north of the Alps designed in the Italian style — not the Gothic that dominated Germany at the time. Fugger had spent time in Venice and imported both the aesthetic and the artisans. Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, stayed here during the Diet of Augsburg in 1530 — Fugger was his principal banker and had already lent him the money to buy his imperial election.