Without a forecourt or towers and somewhat hidden away in the Old Town, the true magnificence of the Baroque Asam Church Maria de Victoria lies in its stunning interior. Two exceptionally valuable artistic treasures adorn this architectural gem, which was built between 1732 and 1736 as the oratory of the Marian student congregation.
The Incarnation of the Lord is the subject of the phenomenal ceiling fresco that was painted by Cosmas Damian Asam, the most well-known Bavarian artist of the Baroque era, at the height of his creativity. This perspectival masterpiece, which is the largest flat ceiling fresco in the world and measures 42 metres by 16 metres, can be best appreciated by walking around beneath it. Another valuable artefact is the Lepanto Monstrance, which was completed in 1708 and stands in the treasure chamber.
This filigree work of art, set in gold and silver, represents the Christians' victory over the Turks in the sea battle of Lepanto - the unique portrayal of a combat on the world's most valuable monstrance.
References:The Château du Lude is one of the many great châteaux of the Loire Valley in France. Le Lude is the most northerly château of the Loire Valley and one of the last important historic castles in France, still inhabited by the same family for the last 260 years. The château is testimony to four centuries of French architecture, as a stronghold transformed into an elegant house during the Renaissance and the 18th century. The monument is located in the valley of Le Loir. Its gardens have evolved throughout the centuries.