Palais Erthaler Hof

Construction of the palace began in 1734 and was completed in 1741. Philipp Christoph von und zu Erthal, a gentleman architect and court councilor of Electoral Mainz, was responsible for the design. Johann Michael Schmitt and Franz Anton Hermann carried out the construction. Through Erthal's study trips to France and his training with the French court architect Germain Boffrand, he introduced French-influenced Classicism to Mainz with the Erthaler Hof. This style replaced the previously dominant South German-Austrian Baroque from the mid-18th century onwards. After the end of the Electorate, the Erthaler Hof served as the prefecture of the Département du Mont-Tonnerre.