Eschenau Castle

The castle's origins date back to the 16th century when it was built in place of a castle destroyed in 1504. The von Gemmingen family, who held local lordship from at least 1518, commissioned the construction of a Renaissance castle. Balthasar Wolff from Heilbronn is presumed to have been the master builder. A square tower in the northwest of the castle and a vaulted cellar under the orangery are considered the last remnants of the predecessor castle. In 1650, the castle changed hands, and after several ownership changes, Johann Melchior von Killinger acquired the estate in 1736. In 1745, he commissioned the Italian architect Leopoldo Retti for a Rococo-style renovation. Retti incorporated a central risalit on the west side, a staircase on the east, and a large hall inside, adorned with Rococo stucco.