The Room of Garel

The second room of the summer house tells us about the story of “Garel of the Blooming Valley”. Not all the frescoes are in the same good condition. The story was written about 1230 by a man who named himself “Pleier”. The cycle in the summer house is the only cycle showing this theme. These frescoes were also damaged in 1868 by the collapsing of the wall as well as by water damage.

The cycle starts on the right side of the chimney with the kidnapping of King Arthur’s wife Ginevra. In the second scene the giant Karabin arrives to bring the declaration of war by King Ekunaver. Knight Garel leaves to fight against King Ekunaver and his army. One of the first duels he has to pass is against the knights Gerhard and Rialt. He defeats both and obliges them to follow him.

On the western wall you can see some scenes of different fights, but the frescoes badly preserved. Garel succeeds to free Princess Laudamie (left on the northern wall) and marries her (this scene got lost in 1868). Today the scenes showing the fight against the monster Vulganus is placed in the Tristan Room because after the restoration works the frescoes didn’t fit on the northern wall, since the wall had to be replaced and moved.

The scenes on the northern wall end with the army of Garel and the battle against Ekunaver. Garel obliges the subjected King Ekunaver to form a peace treaty with King Arthur and both kings meet at the round table (eastern wall).

The original chimney – in Venetian-style with drilled stucco-columns – was built in 1390 and it is a outstanding piece of architecture.

On the front side you can see three coat of arms of Emperor Maximilian I. On the left side the coat of arms of Burgundy, in the middle the Austrian coat of arms and on the right side that of Tyrol.