Bishop's Castle (Chur)

The Episcopal Palace in Chur, the capital of the Grisons canton, is located opposite the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption in the Hof. The listed building is the official residence of the Bishop of Chur, the episcopal officialate, and the episcopal chancellery.

As part of the Hof, the Episcopal Palace is listed in the inventory of cultural properties of national significance in the canton of Grisons.

Immediately adjacent to the Episcopal Palace, towards the old town, are the former canon's houses. The Marsöl, which once housed the stables of these canons before becoming an episcopal hotel with a ballroom at the beginning of the 20th century, is located on the other side of Hofstrasse.

A first building was erected after 1272 following the consecration of the cathedral. Its current appearance dates back to the baroque redesign in 1732/33 under Bishop Joseph von Rost (in office as Bishop of Chur as Benedict von Rost from 1728 to 1754), who came from Tyrol and incorporated architectural ideas from his homeland into the building.

The palace is adorned with rich stucco decorations and four pilasters on the facade and is built around an inner courtyard. Two mighty bronze lion masks serve as ring holders at each of the two portals.