My pictures didn't do justice to the actual grandiosity of the castle.
But I'm going to share another story....because I love story-telling.馃槅 So...
Crown Prince Ludwig was 18 when his father died and he ascended the Bavarian throne. Although he was not prepared for high office, he continued the state policies of his father.
But Ludwig II was notably eccentric in ways that made serving as Bavaria's head of state problematic. Extremely introverted, he disliked large public functions, avoided formal social events, preferring a life of seclusion. He pursued his real interests in art, music, and architecture. He was a creative son who spent much time day-dreaming. He increasingly withdrew from day-to-day affairs of the state in favour of his extravagant artistic projects.
The palace above was commissioned by him. He paid for the construction out of his personal fortune, rather than Bavarian public funds. His control over the elaborate castle went so far that the palace has been regarded as his own creation, rather than that of the architects involved. As the king's wishes and demands expanded during the construction and so did the expenses. When his private means became insufficient, he continuously opened new lines of credit and funded the project by means of extensive borrowing. He even threatened suicide if his creditors seized his palace for insolvency.
His idiosyncrasies, combined with the fact that he avoided participating in the government, caused considerable tension with the government. In the end, his extravagance was used against him to declare him insane, calling him The Mad King. The government decided to depose him. He was incapacitated.
The irony of it was, although the courtyard of the castle was designed for theatrical purposes, how strange that gloom and sadness were very much palpable as you look around. Eerie silence, air of emptiness, and unexplained longing hover over the vast space. I could picture King Ludwig roaming all by himself, amusing himself. Being an extreme introvert by nature, he never married, nor had any known mistresses, for he was a homosexual and not in good terms with his family. Except perhaps for some helpers, he literally lived all by himself in the castle.
Another irony was, in the two decades of construction, he only lived in the palace for a total of 172 days. He slept only 11 nights. He died alone under mysterious circumstances in the shallow shore water of Lake Starnberg nearby.
The greatest irony is, the once extravagant insolvent architectural and artistic project, is now a legacy. Neuschwanstein Castle welcomes 1.3 million visitors per year, earning royalties and high revenues for Bavaria. It has appeared prominently in several movies. It even served as the inspiration for Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle.
Overall, Neuschwanstein Castle stands as a testimony of the ironies of life . It stands as an evidence of the sad lives of king and queens.
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