The castle of Moritzburg near Radebeul,
which Augustus converted into a summer and hunting residence, is
famous for its Feather Room, designed with two million feathers. The
port area and lighthouse in the castle park were used for miniature
sea battles. The stallion parade of the stud farm at Moritzburg,
held on the first weekend in September, features sixteen stallions
in procession, more than the Queen of England can muster. Augustus
built the Taschenberg Palace for Countess Cosel next to the castle
in Dresden.
Next to it he constructed the Zwinger, an incomparable site of
lavish entertainments that exemplified the reigning Absolutism of
that time. To be named King of Poland, symbolized by the Crown of
Poland on the Crown Gate of the Zwinger, Augustus left Countess
Cosel for a Polish mistress. The "Procession of Princes" in Augustus
Street depicts Augustus and 34 other Wettin rulers. If you cross the
Augustus Bridge, you will meet him as the "Golden Rider" surveying
the Baroque New Town, which he built as a replacement for the town
of Altendresden that had burned down. Downriver is the elegant and
exotic Pillnitz Castle, on land that had belonged to Countess Cosel
before she fell from favor. Near Pirna is the Baroque garden at Grosssedlitz. This is where Augustus
intended to build a Saxon Versailles. After three years funds ran
out, and of all the planned buildings, only the Lower Orangerie was
completed as originally intended. To the north is Stolpen Castle. It
was here in St John's Tower that the Countess Cosel was imprisoned,
after she had been handed over to Augustus by the King of Prussia.
She died there after 49 years. Augustus himself had already died in
1733 and been buried in Krakow. But his heart lies in Dresden's
Court Church. And his alleged 365 children, including three with
Countess Cosel, would ensure the survival of the Wettin dynasty.