Palais Saurau, Graz, Renaissance city palace in Sporgasse, Graz, Austria.
Palais Saurau is a three-story Renaissance palace with four wings surrounding a rectangular courtyard featuring Renaissance arcades and a decorated stone portal. The building displays the coat of arms of the Saurau family and represents the architectural style of the early modern period in the city.
The building was constructed between 1564 and 1566 for Pankraz von Windisch-Graetz, a prominent official of the time. In 1629, Count Karl von Saurau acquired the property and brought it into his family's ownership.
Three grand halls display Rococo furnishings from the 18th century with white-glazed tile stoves in the Louis XVI style and gilded stucco ceilings. These lavish rooms reflect the wealth and status of the family who made this their home.
The palace underwent extensive restoration in 1988 and remains in private ownership of the Goëss-Saurau family, limiting public access. Visitors can view the exterior facade and courtyard from the street and appreciate the architectural details from outside.
A carved wooden figure of a Turk holding a sword protrudes from a window below the roof overhang on the facade. This unusual sculpture served as a recognizable emblem of the Saurau family and remains one of the building's most distinctive features today.
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