Switzerland - Brig, Stockalper Palace

The famous landmark Stockalper Palace (Stockalperschloss) dominates the city of Brig with its monumental architecture. It took twenty years (1658 – 1678) to built this monumental castle with its baroque architecture. The palace was the largest private building of the 17th century in the country. It was built by Kaspar Jodok von Stockalper, a renowned wealthy merchant, banker, entrepreneur, military official and politician.

The palace was built next to the smaller 16th century Stockalper House. It is a rectangular building with three towers with gilded onion domes, named after the Three Kings or Wise Men of the Bible: Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar. The building has a large rectangular courtyard with arcades in the style of the Italian Renaissance, nowadays often used for cultural events.

In 1948 the city of Brig took over the palace and in 1960 the city council moved in. A museum was established and some of the rooms were renovated. Today the palace can be visited with a guided tour.