For centuries the Archbishops of Salzburg resided at the Salzburg Residenz and used the palace to present and represent their political status. Today the Salzburg Residenz palace is a museum and one of the most impressive attractions in the city.
The earliest recorded reference to the bishop's palace was in a document dated 1232. Construction began under Archbishop Konrad I. In the 16th century, several changes and additions to the structure were made. The bishop's palace took on its present appearance under the auspices of Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau (1587–1612). In the early 17th century, work began on the south wing, which included the addition of the large staircase and the Carabinieri-Saal, a section that connected the palace to the Franziskanerkirche and a large courtyard.
The successors of Wolf Dietrich continued to expand and refine the palace through to the end of the 18th century. Throughout the centuries, the palace served as the archbishops' residence, as well as a place of public gatherings and state affairs, all taking place in a setting that reflected power and grandeur.
Today, the Salzburg Residenz houses the Residenzgalerie, which presents paintings from the 16th to the 18th century, and Austrian paintings from the 19th century.
References:House of the Blackheads (Melngalvju nams) is a building situated in the old town of Riga. The original building was erected during the first third of the 14th century for the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild for unmarried German merchants in Riga. Major works were done in the years 1580 and 1886, adding most of the ornaments.
The structure was bombed to a ruin by the Germans June 28, 1941 and the remains demolished by the Soviets in 1948. The current reconstruction was erected from 1995 to 1999. Today the House of Blackheads serves as a museum and sometimes concert hall.