Monopteros, Greek Revival temple in Englischer Garten, Germany.
The Monopteros is a circular open pavilion of ten limestone columns carrying a shallow green copper dome with a red-topped lantern, about 16 metres high. It stands on an artificial hill in the southern Englischer Garten, and a short flight of steps leads up to its raised platform.
King Ludwig I commissioned architect Leo von Klenze to build this monument between 1833 and 1837 to honor Elector Karl Theodor and King Maximilian. The project was part of Ludwig's efforts to shape Munich with neoclassical monuments.
The Monopteros was built as a garden monument in the Englischer Garten, the park opened to Munich's roughly 40,000 citizens in 1792 and laid out by Friedrich Ludwig von Sckell. Its Greek Revival form belongs to the park's scenic design rather than to any religious use; the round temple serves today as a viewpoint and meeting point on its artificial hill.
The Monopteros stands on an artificial hill in the southern Englischer Garten, the section laid out from 1789 to 1792. The Isarring divides this southern part from the northern Hirschau; the monument lies south of that road. Paths lead up the hill from the surrounding lawns, and the site is open to visitors at any hour.
From the elevated location, views open across Munich's skyline with many church spires and other city landmarks. This panoramic outlook makes the spot popular for photography.
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