Episcopal Court

Court district with its canon houses, the episcopal castle and the cathedral
At the top left the square is closed off by the episcopal castle. The secular counterpart to the cathedral received its current shape under Bishop Joseph Benedikt von Rost (r. 1728-54). The complex is built around an inner courtyard. The façade, which only has three window axes, is divided by rising pilasters into two wide and a narrow central section, with the two side parts being crowned by gables and the middle part by a hatch-like attachment. For reasons of symmetry, a counterpart was added to the left portal on the right, which, however, only forms the entrance to a carriage house. On the doors, bronze lion masks serve as ring holders. Doors and windows have stucco decorations. Joseph Benedikt von Rost came from Tyrol and it is not surprising that his work is influenced by the Austrian Baroque. The bishop managed to remove the building from the shadow of the cathedral and give it a dominant accent. Nowhere else in Graubünden can we find such rich sculptural outdoor decoration.
Text / Source: Chur Tourismus, Bahnhofstrasse 32, 7001 Chur, Switzerland
chur.graubuenden.ch/de/uebersicht-ausflugsziel/bischoefliches-schloss-hof

As early as 1272 there was a palace at this point in the old town in Chur. Although it is not the same building, the Episcopal Palace still forms the core of the city today. Today the castle is the seat of the Chur diocesan bishop. In addition to some historical features, the oldest cookbook in Switzerland is said to have been written in the castle. It was created there at the end of the 16th century: chur.ch/haeuser/6054.

The Hof in Chur refers to the district above the old town and the reformed Martinskirche, which is characterized by the Roman Catholic cathedral and the Episcopal Palace, the residence of the Chur bishop.