3 . T H E N E W
H A L L O F
G I A N T S
RESIDENZSCHLOSS,
TASCHENBERG 2
The Riesensaal is true to its name in more than one
way : Its designation originally derives from the
painted depictions of giants on the walls , but the
pillar - free space was also giant in itself , measuring
741 square metres , and was used for courtly
celebrations , masquerade balls and weddings .
However , when August the Strong died in 1733 , the
Dresden Residenzschloss ( Royal Palace ) lost this
space because his son , August III ( 1696 – 1763 )
subdivided it into smaller rooms , including a chapel
for his wife , Maria Josepha of Austria .
280 years after it was lost , the Riesensaal reopened
in 2013 , resplendent in its original dimensions , yet
with completely modern interior architecture . It
now serves to present almost 350 objects from the
fifteenth to the seventeenth centuries : suits of
armour that covered the bodies of horses and riders ,
valuable lances , swords and other parade weaponry .
Through the windows , visitors see the palace square ,
where men once fought wearing several kilograms
of steel : The din must have been deafening .
Originally practiced in preparation for battle , by the
end of the fifteenth century tournaments began to
play an important role in courtly ceremony and
festivity . And the ruling houses fought with style : In
their aesthetics , the objects on show in the
Riesensaal hardly disclose the purpose they once
served . In the place of computer - aided animation ,
reconstructed fighting scenes take visitors on a
visual journey through time . Completing this picture
are paintings commissioned by Christian I of Saxony
( 1560 – 1591 ) in honour of his father August , Elector of
Saxony ( 1526 – 1586 ), which depict tournaments of
that era .