Kunsthistorisches Museum – Picture Gallery (Vienna, Austria)

The author beside the painting of Helene Fourment (Peter Paul Rubens), Picture Gallery, Kunsthistorisches Museum

The Picture Gallery of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, developed from the art collections of the House of Habsburg (notably Rudolf II in the late-16th/early-17th century and Archduke Leopold Wilhelm in the mid-17th century), is one of the largest and most important of its kind in the world with numerous masterpieces from European art history.

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Grablegung Christi (Tizan)

Ecce Homo (Tiziano Vecellio, 1543)

It occupies two wings of the first floor with one wing focusing on 16th-century Venetian painting (Titian, Paolo Veronese, Tintoretto, etc.), Spanish and French works and the other on Dutch painting (Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden, etc.), 17th-century Flemish painting (Peter Paul Rubens, Sir Anthony Van Dyck, etc.) and German Renaissance painting (Albrecht Dürer, Lucas Cranach, etc.).

John the Baptist Preaching (Bernardo Strozzi)

Mary with Child and Saints (Perugino)

The gallery includes the world’s largest collection of works by Pieter Brueghel the Elder, painted depictions of 16th century life which are unique worldwide and are an absolute joy.

The author (left) beside the painting of The Peasant Wedding of Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1568)

Tower of Babel (Pieter Bruegel)

The Massacre of the Innocents (Pieter Bruegel the Elder)

It features such famous works as the iconic The Tower of Babel (1563), The Fight Between Carnival and Lent (1559), Children’s Games (1560),  The Procession to Calvary (1564), The Gloomy Day (February-March, 1565), The Return of the Herd (October-November, 1565), The Hunters in the Snow (December-January, 1565), The Peasant and the Nest Robber (Bauer und Vogeldieb, 1568), The Peasant Wedding (1568/69) and The Peasant Dance (1568/69).

Madonna of the Meadow (Raphael)

Madonna and Child with Saints Catherine and James (Lorenzo Lotto)

Among the other highlights hanging in the hallowed museum walls of the Picture Gallery are its holdings of masterpieces of Europe’s greatest artists from the 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries such as:

Homecoming of Hagar (Pietro da Cortona)

Hercules, Dejanira and the centaur Nesius (Paolo Veronese)

The paintings, though hanging in tall galleries, are more or less at eye level, making them easy to view from lovely upholstered sofas.

Cimon and Iphigenaia (Peter Paul Rubens)

The Four Rivers of Paradise (Peter Paul Rubens, 1615)

The protective rails feature accessible, individual descriptions in both German and English.

Bird hunting in Brussels (David Terniers, 1652)

Around 1890, Gustav Klimt, Ernst Klimt and Franz von Matsch painted the areas between and around the arches and columns on the north wall of the main staircase.

Advent … Elizabeth’s Moment (Luca Giordano)

The Triumph of Bacchus (Michaelina Woutiers)

Picture Gallery: First Floor, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Maria Theresien-Platz, 1010 Vienna. Tel: +43 1 525 24- 4902. E-mail: info.ansa@khm. Open Tuesdays – Sundays, 10 AM – 6 PM, Thursdays, 10 AM – 9 PM.

How to Get There: take U1 going to Leopoldau at Keplerplatz, transfer to U2 going to Aspernstrabe at Karlsplatz, exit at Volkstheater.

Kunsthistorisches Museum (Vienna, Austria)

Kunsthistorisches Museum

The Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Art History), also often referred to as the “Museum of Fine Arts,” is housed in its festive palatial building, on the RingstraßeThe term Kunsthistorisches Museum applies to both the institution and the main building.

L-R (standing): Popong Flores, Jandy Layug, the author, Grace Layug, Manny Sta. Maria, Freddie Sta. Maria and Isko Dionela. Seated: Cheska and Kyle Layug

It was opened by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary around 1891, the same time as the Natural History Museum (Naturhistorisches Museum) across Maria-Theresien-Platz.

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The ornate interior

The two museums, with identical exteriors,  were commissioned by the Emperor in order to find a suitable shelter for the Habsburgs‘ formidable art collection and to make it accessible to the general public.

Apotheosis Of The Renaissance (Mihaly Munkacsy, 1844-1900, Hungary)

Both were built between 1872 and 1891 according to plans drawn up by Gottfried Semper and Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer.

This rectangular building, with its sandstone façade, is topped with a 60 m. high octagonal dome.  Its interior is lavishly decorated with marble, stucco ornamentations, gold-leaf, and paintings.

Jandy beside sculpture of Theseus Defeats the Centaur (Antonio Canova)

Here are some interesting trivia regarding the museum:

The collections of the Kunsthistorisches Museum  include the Picture Gallery, the Egyptian and Near Eastern Collection, the Collection of Greek and Roman Antiquities, Kunstkammer (Collection of Sculpture and Decorative Arts), the Coin Cabinet and the Library.

Check out “Kunsthistorisches Museum – Egyptian and Near Eastern Collection,” “Kunsthistorisches Museum – Collection of Greek and Roman Antiquities,” “Kunsthistorisches Museum – Picture Gallery” and “Kunsthistorisches Museum – Kunstkammer.”

Kunsthistorisches Museum: Maria Theresien-Platz, 1010 Vienna. Tel: +43 1 525 24- 4902. E-mail: info.ansa@khm. Open Tuesdays – Sundays, 10 AM – 6 PM, Thursdays, 10 AM – 9 PM.

How to Get There: take U1 going to Leopoldau at Keplerplatz, transfer to U2 going to Aspernstrabe at Karlsplatz, exit at Volkstheater.

 

Natural History Museum (Vienna, Austria)

Natural History Museum (NHM)

The Museum of Natural History (NHM, GermanNaturhistorisches Museum),  amongst the most splendid of the buildings that line the Vienna Ringstrasse, houses one of the largest natural history  collections in the world.

The author trying out a microscope

Cheska and Kyle viewing a brown bear

Jandy beside a coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae)

Founded 250 years ago by Franz Stephan von Lothringen, the Natural History Museum was built as a cathedral to the natural sciences between 1872 and 1891 according to plans drawn up by Gottfried Semper and Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer.

The main staircase

The building itself, a masterpiece of historical Neo-Renaissance architecture, was opened in 1889 as the Imperial Natural History Museum, at the same time as the Kunsthistorisches Museum. The two museums, on the Ringstraße, facing each other across Maria-Theresien-Platz, have identical exteriors.

The ornate interior

Built to house the huge collection of the Habsburgs, it has timeless elegance.  Its ornate decoration, furniture and precious exhibits make it a feast for the eyes for those interested in arts, scienceand architecture. The building itself is an artifact for historical preservation.

One of 39 exhibit halls – ornithological display

Copernican Planetary Machine

Archelon ischyros – world’s largest turtle

Its collection, in 39 exhibit halls against a backdrop of magnificent halls and spread out in 8,700 sq. m. (94,000 sq. ft.), has grown to approximately 30 million objects and artifacts (as of 2011), 25 million of which are the essential basis for the work of over 60 staff scientists.

Dinosaur skulls

Venus of Willendorf

Trilobites

The scientists’s main fields of research cover a wide range of topics, from the origins of the Solar System and the evolution of animals and plants to human evolution, as well as prehistoric traditions and customs. It forms the basis for natural sciences research at the NHM.

Lake Nyrshany – a Carboniferous Ecosystem

Early Sharks and Lobefins (Coelacanths)

Allosaurus fragilis

On display at the first floor are a variety of species from the animal world, from protozoa to insects to highly developed living mammals in modern terraria and aquaria.

A pirarucu (arapaima) from the Amazon River, Brazil

Whale Shark

Zebras

Herpetological display featuring taxidermied crocodiles

Turtles and Tortoises

Anaconda

Those over 200 years old, on their own account, are of particular interest as historical records for the history of science and the art of taxidermy.

Japanese Spider Crab

Komodo Dragon

Tiger-headed Python

Numerous stuffed animals, of species either long-extinct (such as Steller’s sea cow)  or extremely endangered, have made the collections truly famous and irreplaceable.

Skeleton of Steller’s Sea Cow

Skeleton of a Fin Whale

Pteranodon ingens

Skull of a Sperm Whale

The upper floor (Hochparterre) displays the following:

Austrian Meteorites

Amethyst

Diamonds and Quartz Crystals

Gold nuggets

The giant topaz crystal

Iron Meteorites

Some of the signs and explanations in the museum are in German but, following a recent renovation, much of the museum is now in German and English.

Bradysaurus baini

Dunkleosteus terrelli

Prodeinotherium bavaricum

Natural History Museum :  Burgring 7, 1010 ViennaAustria. Tel: +43 1 521770. Open 9 AM – 6:30 PM. The museum’s website provides an overview in the form of a virtual tour.

Österreichische Galerie Belvedere (Vienna, Austria)

Osterreichische Galerie Belvedere

The highlight of our tour of the Belvedere Palace, the summer residence of  the great art patron and collector Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663–1736), was our tour of the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere (Austrian Gallery), an art museum housed in the Upper Belvedere, one of two palaces that make up the Belvedere.

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The author

Named as such in 1921, this museum houses an extensive and permanent collection which includes several thousand masterpieces from the Middle Ages and Baroque up to the 21st century contemporary art, focusing on Austrian painters from the Fin de Siècle and Art Nouveau period complemented by the works of international artists.

Further attractions at the museum include key works of French Impressionism and the greatest, outstanding and most important collection of Viennese art from the Biedermeier Collection as well as highlights of the Baroque and Medieval Collection.

Duke Ernst the Iron Saves Cimburgis (Franz Dobyaschofsky, 1850, oil on canvas)

The collection threw a fresh and exciting light on artworks by well known Austrian artists that includes the world’s largest collections of paintings by Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller and Gustav Klimt and the Character Heads by Franz Xaver Messerschmidt. Other Austrian artists with works displayed include Rueland Frueauf the Elder, Erika Giovanna Klien, Egon Schiele, Helene Funke, and Oskar Kokoschka.

Cheska admiring “Count Moritz Christian von Fries and his Family,” an oil on canvas painting by François Pascal Simon Gérard

The museum’s display concept offered fresh approaches to these masterpieces of art through four innovative and thematically organized galleries (Austrian Baroque; Habsburg – Myth and Truth; Austria in Exile: Artists in Exile – Destinies in Dark Times; and Austria on the Move) that enlivened the path through the chronologically arranged periods of art in the permanent collection, sparking a multi-layered dialogue between the classics of art history and contemporary artists, for example Erwin Wurm and Christian Philipp Müller.

Empress Maria Theresa with her Children (Heinrich Fuger, tempera on parchment, 1776)

Conceived as a deliberate pause, the magnificent staterooms provides an opportunity to engage with, as well as focus on, issues and questions concerning Austria’s art, identity and history over the course of different epochs. An exciting interaction between past and present, we encountered and experienced an almost complete overview of the development of over 500 years of art history in Austria and, thus, an insight into the country’s history, rediscovering old favorites in a new context.

The Chess game (Josef Danhauser, 1839)

A section in the exhibition is dedicated to the tempestuous history of the Belvedere covering Prince Eugene’s building of the palaces, the foundation of the museum, the signing of the Austrian State Treaty, and its role today as a modern museum.

Gustav Klimt, The Kiss (Lovers), 1908–1909. Measuring 180×180 cms., the ornamental character of this masterpiece is enhanced with gold and silver. According to a contemporary rumor, the couple depicted is the artist himself and his lifelong partner Emilie Flöge. which was Bought in 1908 by the Moderne Galerie, Klimt reached the pinnacle of his “golden” phase with “The Kiss.”

At the Galerie des 19. und 20. Jahrhunderts (Gallery of 19th- and 20th-Century Art), I found works by the artists of the 1897 Secessionist movement. Most outstanding is Gustav Klimt (1862-1918), one of the movement’s founders.  The heart of the presentation of “Art around 1900” is the collection of 24 of his works (portraits, landscapes, and allegorical scenes), the world’s largest collection of his paintings, which allowed us to trace the evolution of his style, from elegant portraiture (e.g. 1897/1898’s Sonja Krips), through to portraits with abstract elements (1906’s Fritza Riedler), impressionist landscapes (1907’s Flowering Poppies) and, of course, the golden pictures The Kiss (1907/08), his most famous painting, and Judith (1901).

Napoleon at the St. Bernard Pass (Jacques Louis David, 1801. Oil on canvas, 246 x 231 cm.)

Sharing almost equal billing with Klimt is Egon Schiele  (1890-1918).  The museum hosts some of Schiele’s masterpieces, including The Wife of an Artist, The EmbraceDeath and the Maiden, and The Family (a self-portrait painted just months before his death in 1918 from Spanish flu; the expressions on their faces suggest that Schiele and his wife almost seem to know what’s coming).

Österreichische Galerie Belvedere: Upper Belvedere, Prinz Eugen-Straße 27, 1030 ViennaAustria. Tel: +43 1 795 57-0 and +43 1 79557134. Open: 10 AM -6 PM. E-mail: info@belvedere.at. Website:  www.belvedere.at.  Admission (Upper Belvedere): €16 (adult)

How to Get There: take U1 going to Reumannplatz at Stephansplatz, exit at Hauptbahnhof, then walk.

Upper Belvedere (Vienna, Austria)

Upper Belvedere

After our tour of Schonbrunn Palace and its Imperial Carriage Museum, Grace, Jandy, Cheska, Kyle, Vicky, Isko, Manny and I walked towards the nearby Wien Schonbrunn where we took the tram to Wien Karlsplatz.

The author (left foreground) at the Upper Belvedere

Upon arrival, we walked 600 m., from the Belvedere Palace entrance, to the Upper Belvedere where Grace, Jandy, Cheska and I were to explore Österreichische Galerie.  The others stayed behind with Kyle.

Check out “Schonbrunn Palace and Gardens,” Imperial Carriage Museum” and “Österreichische Galerie Belvedere

The historic Upper Belvedere (Oberes Belvedere), one of two Baroque palaces (the other is the Lower Belvedere or Unteres Belvedere), is part of the palace complex (which also included the Orangery and the Palace Stables) built as a summer residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy, the commander-in-chief who had just successfully concluded a series of wars against the Ottoman Empire.

The Belvedere was built during a period of extensive construction in Vienna, which at the time was both the imperial capital and home to the ruling Habsburg dynasty.

Here’s the historical timeline of the Upper Belvedere:

  • On November 30, 1697, one year after commencing with the construction of the Stadtpalais, Prince Eugene purchased a sizable plot of land south of the Rennweg, the main road to Hungary. Plans for the Belvedere garden complex were drawn up immediately. Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt was the chief architect for this project.
  • As early as 1717, the construction of the Upper Belvedere began as testified by two letters that Prince Eugene sent from Belgrade to his servant Benedetti in summer 1718 describing the progress of work on the palace.
  • By October 2, 1719, construction was so far advanced that the prince was able to receive the Turkish ambassador Ibrahim Pasha there.
  • As early as 1718, the decoration of the interior started.
  • In 1719, Prince Eugene commissioned the Italian painter Francesco Solimena to execute both the altarpiece for the Palace Chapel and the ceiling fresco in the Golden Room.
  • In the same year, Gaetano Fanti was commissioned to execute the illusionistic quadratura painting in the Marble Hall.
  • In 1720, Carlo Carlone was entrusted with the task of painting the ceiling fresco in the Marble Hall, which he executed from 1721–23.
  • In 1723, the building was completed.
  • In the winter of 1732–33, as the Sala Terrena was at risk of collapsing due to structural problems, Hildebrandt was forced to install a nine-bay vaulted ceiling supported by four structural telamons, giving the room its current appearance.
  • On April 21 1736, the childless Prince Eugene died in his City Palace in Vienna without a legally binding will. A commission, set up by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, named the prince’s niece Victoria (daughter of his eldest brother Thomas and the only surviving member of the house of Savoy-Soissons) as his heir.
  • On July 6, 1736, Princess Victoria moved into the Belvedere, known at that point as the Gartenpalais.
  • In November 1752, Maria Theresa, the daughter of Charles VI, purchased the estate from Princess Victoria.
  • In 1776, Maria Theresa and her son, Emperor Joseph II, decided to transfer the u.k. Gemäldegalerie (“Imperial Picture Gallery”) from the Imperial Stables  (a part of the city’s Hofburg Imperial Palace) to the Upper Belvedere. Inspired by the idea of enlightened absolutism, her intention was to make the imperial collection accessible to the general public.
  • In 1781, the picture gallery opened, making it one of the first public museums in the world.
  • In 1891, the imperial collection was transferred to the newly built Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Fine Arts) on Vienna’s splendid Ringstrasse.
  • In 1896, Emperor Franz Joseph I decided that the Upper Belvedere should serve as a residence for Franz Ferdinand, his nephew and the heir presumptive to the throne. Under the supervision of the architect Emil von Förster (also imperial undersecretary), the heir had the palace remodeled.
  • In November 1918, shortly after the end of World War I, art historian Franz Haberditzl submitted a request to the Ministry of Education, asking for the palaces to be left to the Staatsgalerie. This application was granted the very next year.
  • During World War II, the palaces suffered considerable damage. Parts of the Marble Hall in the Upper Belvedere and the Hall of Grotesques in the Lower Belvedere were destroyed by bombs.
  • On February 4, 1953, after reconstruction work was completed, the Österreichische Galerie (Austrian Gallery) reopened in the Upper Belvedere.
  • On May 15, 1955, the Austrian State Treaty (the treaty that gave Austria its independence back after the post-World War II occupation) was signed at the Marble Hall by Leopold Figl and representatives of the four occupying powers, England, France, the Soviet Union, and the USA.

One of 12 Rococo sphinxes

The buildings are set in a Baroque park landscape in the third district of the city, on the south-eastern edge of its centre.  The grounds are set on a gentle gradient and include decorative tiered fountains and cascades, Baroque sculptures, and majestic wrought iron gates.

Sculpture of a man fighting with a horse

The Upper Belvedere is located at the top of the slope at the southern end of the park. It had a purely representative function and only contained reception halls and banquet halls.

Its exterior, especially the magnificent main façade, facing south, is much more impressive than the rather modest Lower Belvedere. The many sculptures that adorn the facade are a reference to Prince Eugene’s victory over the Turkish army and the rooftop structures are said to evoke tents at Turkish army camps.

Unfortunately little of the original interior, designed by French furniture maker Claude le Fort du Plessy, has been preserved since the building was actively used until the mid-twentieth century.

Originally, the main entrance was located on the south side of the Upper Belvedere and can still be recognized by its access ramps.

We entered the Upper Belvedere via the Sala Terrena, a large, brilliant white ground floor hall that opens onto to the garden side of the Upper Belvedere.

Atlas (Giovanni Giuliani)

It is dominated by four mighty atlases (atlantes), sculpted by Giovanni Giuliani, supporting the richly decorated, stuccoed vaulted ceiling of the room.

Initially, the Sala Terrena was designed as a uniform spacious hall but, after structural damage in the winter of 1732/33, the installation of the four supports became necessary.

Bas-relief

Serving both as the garden hall and vestibule, the hall led us to the huge, wide stone Grand Staircase with its stucco martial reliefs and giant iron-wrought lamps.

Grand Staircase

Lining the staircase are scenes from the life of Alexander the Great meant to inspire visitors to contemplate the virtuous deeds of Prince Eugene.

Wrought iron lamp

The right wall is adorned with a stucco relief depicting the triumph of Alexander the Great over Darius III, while on the left, Darius’s wives are depicted in front of Alexander.

Ecce Homo (Anton Hanak) at stairway gallery

Statue of Maria Theresia (Franz Xaver Messerschmidt)

Statue of Emperor Francis I (Franz Xaver Messerschmidt)

The magnificent Marble Hall, the Baroque state room and the central chamber of the Upper Belvedere, is the first room we encountered from the Grand Staircase.

Marble Hall

Open to the public, it reaches two stories in height and is dominated by reddish-brown marble, rich gilding, and a large, ornate ceiling fresco (“Prince Eugene as a new Apollo and Leader of the Muses”).

The ceiling fresco was created by northern Italian fresco master and itinerant artist Carlo Innocenzo Carlone (1686–1775) and framed by fake architectures by Marcantonio Chiarini (from Bologna) and Gaetano Fanti, two Italian painters who specialized in quadratura , an illusionistic technique based on perspective laws.

Prince Eugene as a new Apollo and leader of the Muses

These illusionist paintings add false galleries and niches to the architecture. The windows here gave us great views down to Lower Belvedere and let us properly grasp the layout of the main gardens.

The Carlone Hall (or Painted Hall), originally serving as a spot to cool off and socialize on hot summer days, was named after its creator Carlo Innocenzo Carlone who painted the impressive ceiling fresco depicting the “Triumphs of Aurora” (1722/23).

While walking round the Klimt part of the collection, we saw the small, octagonal Palace Chapel which is largely preserved in its original condition, as evidenced by a drawing by Salomon Kleiner from the 1830s. Mass is held here every Sunday at 12 noon

L-R: Isko, Kyle, Jandy, the author, Manny, Cheska and Grace

Upper Belvedere: Prinz Eugen-Straße 27, 1030 ViennaAustria. Tel: +43 1 795 57-0 and +43 1 79557134. Open: 10 AM -6 PM. E-mail: info@belvedere.at. Website:  www.belvedere.at. Admission (Upper Belvedere): €16 (adult).

Imperial Carriage Museum (Vienna, Austria)

The Imperial Carriage Museum (Wagenburg)

The Imperial Carriage Museum (Wagenburg)

The Imperial Carriage Museum (also called the Wagenburg), housed in the grounds of the Schlosses Schönbrunn,  is a museum of some 170 (101 of which were part of the imperial fleet) court vehicles (including the only preserved Court Automobile of 1914) and carriages used by the imperial household of the Austrian Empire.

An array of carriages on display

An array of carriages on display

Court automobile, 1914

Court automobile, 1914

A department of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, it was transferred from the Imperial Stables in the Vienna Hofburg to Schönbrunn in 1922 and housed in the former Winter Riding School which had been specially converted for this purpose.

Typical town carriage, 1872

Typical town carriage, 1872

A 4-seater personal Calash a la Daumont

A 4-seater personal Calash a la Daumont

A 4-seater Berlin coach

A 4-seater Berlin coach

It features a famous and outstanding collection of carriages used by members of the imperial family and Viennese court.  The core of what was once the vehicle fleet of the Viennese Court, the collection includes exquisite state coaches, ceremonial and gala carriages, comfortable travelling coaches, charming children’s carriages of Habsburg princes and princesses, sleighs and sedan chairs.

Coronation landau, 1825

Coronation landau, 1825

Landau of the Imperial Court

Landau of the Imperial Court

One of the most famous exhibits and the highlight in this collection is the gilded Imperialwagen (imperial coach).  Probably built in 1764 for the coronation of Joseph II, it was, from then onwards, used for various imperial and royal Habsburg coronations. This splendid Baroque coach, drawn by eight grey horses, is  richly decorated with ornate carving and painting by Franz Xaver Wagenschön.

The Imperial Coach

The Imperial Coach

However, with a total weight of more than 4000 kgs., it could only proceed at a walking pace. When transported, the coach was dismantled, shipped to its destination by water and then reassembled in situ.  This breathtaking imperial carriage also drove Empress Elisabeth to her June 8, 1867 coronation in Budapest’s Matthias Church. It was last used in 1916 during the coronation of Emperor Charles when it carried Empress Zita and Crown Prince Otto to the church.

Lavish personal town carriages o the Vienna Court

Lavish personal town carriages o the Vienna Court

Mourning homage carriage

Mourning homage carriage

Other noteworthy carriages include the Golden Carousel Carriage of Maria Theresia and the Child’s Phaeton of Napoleon’s son (the King of Rome).

Queen Maria Theresia's carousel carriage

Queen Maria Theresia’s carousel carriage

Children's carriage of the King of Rome

Child phaeton of the King of Rome

The Black Hearse o the Viennese Court

The Black Hearse of the Viennese Court

Another highlight is the “Sisi Trail” which traces the life of the popular and legendary Empress Elisabeth (fondly called Sisi) from her wedding to her tragic death.

Lavish personal 2-seater town carriage of Empress Elisabeth

Lavish personal 2-seater town carriage of Empress Elisabeth

Carriage of Empress Elisabeth

Carriage that introduced Sisi as the imperial bride

Her sumptuous carriages includes the carriage in which she was introduced as the imperial bride (it was also used by Napoleon for his 1805 coronation as King of Italy) in Vienna on April 23, 1854; the enchanting carriages of her children; the carriage which the empress was riding just before her assassination in Geneva and, at the end of this series of carriages, the imposing Black Hearse in which Sisi was carried to her grave on September 17, 1898.

Portraits of Empress Elisabeth's favorite horses

Portraits of Empress Elisabeth’s favorite horses

Empress Elisabeth's only surviving saddle

Empress Elisabeth’s only surviving saddle

We also saw paintings, 25 portraits of her favorite horses as well as her personal and unique mementos and keepsakes such as her only surviving saddle, her “riding chapel” and sumptuous original dresses and magnificent court robes including her splendid black riding outfit (the empress was considered the best horsewoman of her time), black court dress, chenille dress and the train of her bridal dress which was embroidered with real gold and silver.

Sisi's wedding train

Sisi’s wedding train

Black court dress of Empress Elisabeth

Black court dress of Empress Elisabeth

Chenille dress of Empress Elisabeth

Chenille dress of Empress Elisabeth

Also on display are livery of the Imperial Court, gala uniform of Emperor Franz Josef I, uniform of an officer of the Royal Hungarian Life Guard and vestments of a Knight of the French Royal Order of the Holy Spirit.

Campagne livery of the Imperial Court

Campagne livery of the Imperial Court

Gala uniform of Emperor Franz Josef I

Gala uniform of Emperor Franz Josef I

Vestments of a Knight of the French Royal Order of the Holy Spirit

Vestments of a Knight of the French Royal Order of the Holy Spirit

Uniform of an officer of the Royal Hungarian Life Guard

Uniform of an officer of the Royal Hungarian Life Guard

The Imperial Carriage Museum Vienna truly is a walk through the history of Austria, inviting you to see the carriages that accompany famous rulers such as by Maria Theresa, Napoleon I and Franz Joseph, providing us a glimpse of their eventful lives.

The author at the Imperial Carriage Museum

The author at the Imperial Carriage Museum

Imperial Carriage Museum Vienna:  Schloss Schönbrunn, Hietzing district, 1130Vienna, Austria. Tel: +43-1-525 24-4025.  E-mail: info.wb@khm.at. Website: www.khm.at.   Open daily, 10 AM – 4 PM, from March 16 until November 27, 2016, daily 9 AM – 5 PM.

Schonbrunn Palace and Gardens (Vienna, Austria)

Schonbrunn Palace

The 1,441-room, Baroque-style Schonbrunn Palace (GermanSchloss Schönbrunn),  a former imperial summer residence, is one of the most important architectural, cultural and historical monuments in the country. The palace, as well as its gardens, reflect the changing tastes, interests and aspirations of successive Habsburg monarchs.

Entrance court

The complex includes the Tiergarten (an orangerie erected around 1755) and the Palmenhaus, a noteworthy palm house which replaced, by 1882, around 10 earlier and smaller glass houses in the western part of the park.

Schonbrunn Palace interior

The history of the palace and its vast gardens spans over 300 years. Here are interesting historical trivia regarding the palace:

  • The name Schönbrunn, meaning “beautiful spring,” has its roots in an artesian well whose waters were consumed by the court. In 1642 came the first mention of the name “Schönbrunn” on an invoice.
  • The palace had its beginnings as a mansion called Katterburg, erected in 1548.
  • From the 1740 to the 1750s, during the reign of empress Maria Theresa (who received the estate as a wedding gift), the Schönbrunn Palace, in its present form, was built and remodeled.
  • Eleonora Gonzaga, wife of Ferdinand II, spent much time there.  The area  was bequeathed to her as a widow’s residence after the death of her husband.
  • From 1638 to 1643, Eleonora added a palace to the Katterburg mansion. The origins of the Schönbrunn orangery seem to go back to Eleonora as well.
  • Franz I commissioned the redecoration of the palace exterior in Neo-Classical style as it appears today.
  • Franz Joseph, the longest-reigning emperor of Austria, was born at the palace and spent a great deal of his life there. On November 21, 1916, he died there at the age of 86.
  • On November 1918, following the downfall of the Habsburg monarchy, the palace became the property of newly founded Austrian Republic and was preserved as a museum.
  • After World War II and during the 1945 to 1955 Allied Occupation of Austria, the palace provided offices for both the British delegation to the Allied Commission for Austria and for the headquarters for the small British military garrison in Vienna.
  • In 1955, with the reestablishment of the Austrian republic, the palace once again became a museum.
  • In 1961, the palace was used for the meeting between U.S. president John F. Kennedy and Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev.
  • Since 1992, Schloss Schönbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsges.m.b.H., a limited-liability company wholly owned by the Republic of Austria, administered the palace and gardens, conducting preservation and restoration of all palace properties without state subsidies.
  • In 1996, Schönbrunn Palace, together with its gardens, was cataloged on the World Heritage List  by UNESCO as a remarkable Baroque ensemble and example of synthesis of the arts (Gesamtkunstwerk).
  • Since the mid-1950s, Schönbrunn has been a major tourist attraction. In 2010, Vienna’s most popular tourist destination was attended by 2,600,000 visitors with the whole Schönbrunn complex (Tiergarten SchönbrunnPalmenhausWüstenhaus and the Wagenburg)  accounting for more than five million visitors.
  • The palace was recently selected as the main motif of the The Palace of Schönbrunn silver coin, a high value commemorative Austrian 10-euro coin minted on October 8, 2003.  The central part of the frontage of the palace, behind one of the great fountains in the open space, is seen at the obverse.
  • Every year, the Summer Night Concert Schönbrunn is held here.

Check out “Imperial Carriage Museum (Wagenburg)

The sculpted garden space between the palace and the Sun Fountain is called the Great Parterre. This French garden, a big part of the area, was planned in 1695 by Jean Trehet, a disciple of André Le Nôtre.

The author at the Great Parterre

Rose trellis in Privy Garden

It contains, among other things, a maze and is lined with 32 sculptures, which represent deities and virtues.

Statue of Amphion (Joseph Baptist Hagenauer)

Statue of Gaius Mucius Scaevola (Johann Martin Fischer)

Statue of Janus and Bellona (Johann Christian Wilhelm Beyer)

The garden axis points towards a 60 m. (200 ft.)  high hill which, since 1775,  has been crowned by the Gloriette structure (Fischer von Erlach had initially planned to erect the main palace on top of this hill) which now houses a café and an observation deck providing panoramic views of the city.

Statue of Mars and Minerva (Veit Königer)

Statue of The Abduction of Helena (Johann Wilhelm Beyer)

Maria Theresa decided that the Gloriette  be designed to glorify Habsburg power and the Just War (a war that would be carried out of “necessity” and lead to peace). During the Second World War, the Gloriette was destroyed but was restored in 1947 and, again, in 1995. 

Gloriette

The gardens and palace have been the location for many films and television productions. They include:

Center, L-R: Vicky, Grace, Isko and Jandy

Schonbrunn Palace and Gardens: Schönbrunner Schloßstraße 47-49, 1130 Wien, Austria. Tel: +43 1 81113239. Open 8:30am-6:30pm.  At the official website, tickets can be purchased in advance for tours and tour packages. In addition, many classical concerts, featuring the music of Mozart and his contemporaries, can be enjoyed at the spectacular Orangerie or Schlosstheater halls. 

How to Get There:  take U1 going to Leopoldau at Keplerplatz, transfer to U4 going to Hütteldorf at Karlsplatz, exit at Schonbrunn

Train Ride from Salzburg to Vienna (Austria)

OBB Railjet

After a 2 day/3 night stay in Salzburg, it was now time to make our way to Vienna, Austria’s capital, by train.  As our hotel (Hotel Garni Evido Salzburg City Center) was very near the Salzburg Hauptbahnhof (German for Salzburg main station; abbreviated as Salzburg Hbf and occasionally translated as Central Station), we left early in the morning and just walked going there, with luggage in tow.

Salzburg Hauptbannhof (Salzburg Train Station)

At the station, we boarded the 8:51 AM Railjet (RJ), a high-speed train of the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) and Czech Railways (ČD). OBB connects all of Austria with its major cities of neighboring countries (GermanyHungarySwitzerland, the Czech Republic and Italy), at regular intervals, and also takes passengers to Vienna Airport.

Interior of Economy Class coach

We had a choice of comfortable and individually excellent classes of comfort categories – Business Class (includes beverages and a wide choice of snacks, hot towels, a selection of newspapers and magazines, at-seat service and seat reservation), First Class (includes a welcome drink, cold towels and a large selection of newspapers and magazines) and Economy Class (has a railjet trolley service with coffee, cold beverages and snacks). We chose the latter.

The author

Railjet, the premier service of the ÖBB, consists of 7 individual coaches pulled by Taurus high-speed Siemens EuroSprinter electric locomotives and has a seating capacity of 408 persons.  Passengers here have the highest possible levels of comfort – free Wi-Fi, on-board entertainment, an on-board restaurant and children’s cinema.

The author’s grandson Kyle

ÖBB Railjet trains run twice an hour from Salzburg to Vienna, with two stops at St. Pölten (1 hour 41 mins. from Vienna) and Linz (55 mins. from Vienna).  The fast service (travelling at a maximum speed of up to 230 kms./hour or 143 mph), took only 2 hours and 49 minutes of travel.

Rural scenery seen during our journey

During our journey on the ÖBB Railjet, the Passenger Information System kept us up to date, with timetable information displayed on 80 monitors throughout the train and digital maps show you the actual route of our train.

Passenger Information System

The Passenger Information System also has an electronic reservation display so we can easily find our seat.

Wien Hauptbannhof (Vienna Central Train Station)

We arrived at Wien Hauptbanhof (German for Vienna Central Train Station, abbreviated as Wien Hbf) by noontime and were all welcomed by our cousin, Vienna resident Marivic “Vicky” Dionela.

Mozart’s “Geburtshaus” (Salzburg, Austria)

Mozarts Geburtshaus

The bright-yellow Mozart’s “Geburtshaus,” one of the most frequently visited sights and places of interest in Austria, was the birthplace (January 27, 1756) of the world famous Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Salzburg’s ‘Wunderkind.’  Leopold Mozart (a musician of the Salzburg Royal Chamber) and his wife Anna Maria Pertl (whom he married on November 21, 1747), lived on the house’s third floor for a total of 26 years, from 1747 until 1773 when the family moved to the house we know today as the “Mozart Residence,”standing on Makartplatz Square. Seven children were born here but only two, Wolfgang Amadeus (the seventh) and his sister Maria Anna (‘Nannerl’), survived.

The house, built in the 12th century, sits on ground which had been part of the garden belonging to the Benedictine monks of St Peter’s, Salzburg. Otto Keutzel, a merchant, is mentioned as the owner in 1408.   In 1585, Chunrad Fröschmoser, the court apothecary (the coiled serpent in the lion’s mouth, the symbol of Asclepius on the doorway, testifies to his ownership), purchased the property.

The author

In 1703, the house came into the ownership of the Hagenauer family (the house is also called the Hagenauer Haus or “Hagenauer House”) who had arrived in Salzburg around 1670. Specifically, they included Joseph Matin Hagenauer and Johann Laurenz Hagenauer (merchant, purveyor of spices and friend and landlord of the Mozart family).

The third floor then consisted of a kitchen, a small cabinet, a living-room, a bedroom and an office.  In 1880, the International Mozarteum Foundation set up the first museum in Mozart’s ‘Geburtshaus.’ Over the decades, the house has undergone a systematic process of remodeling and expansion.

The three current exhibitions, set up by Thomas Wizany (architect and caricaturist for the Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper),  highlighted three themes: “Mozart and Salzburg University,” “Mozart’s Friendships with Salzburg Families” and “Church Music and Saintly Veneration,” are centered on Mozart’s original instruments (passed on from Mozart’s widow, Constanze Nissen, through her sons Carl Thomas and Franz Xaver Wolfgang, and now owned by the International Mozarteum Foundation) and authentic portraits. The displays also feature typical everyday furniture and objects used by Mozart’s contemporaries.

Here, at this typical family home during the Mozart, we went through the original rooms in which the Mozart family lived and learned details of the early life of the composer – the domestic circumstances in which he grew up, when he began to play music, who were his friends and patrons, his relationship with his family, his passionate interest in opera, and much more.

The displays presented a range of artifacts.  Period furniture at the first floor replicates living conditions in Mozart’s day while original documents and paintings illustrate his life in Salzburg.  The second floor is devoted to Mozart’s interest in opera and includes the clavichord on which he composed The Magic Flute.

The third floor exhibits Mozart’s childhood violinharpsichord, as well as the majority of the portraits painted during his lifetime (including “Wolfgang Amade Mozart at the Piano,” the unfinished oil portrait, one of Mozart’s striking portraits, painted by Mozart’s brother-in-law Joseph Lange in 1789), keepsakes (a lock of his hair, buttons from his jacket,  etc.) mementos, documents, letters belonging to the Mozart family, and early editions of his music. There are also records of his life in Vienna and of his wife and family.

Mozarts Geburtshaus: Getreidegasse  9, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.  Tel:+43 (0) 662 844313. Fax:+43 (0) 662 84 06 93.  E-mail: museum.service@mozarteum.at. Open daily 9 AM- 5:30 PM; daily, 8:30 AM -7 PM (July, August) and 9 AM -3 PM (December 24).  Last admission is 30 mins. before closing.  It is closed periodically, during Mozart Week, when concerts take place. Guided tours are by prior arrangement.  The museum is not wheelchair-accessible and dogs are not allowed (except assistance dogs).

Admission: €11.00 (adults), €3.50 (children, 6-14 years),  €4.00 (youth, 15-18 years), €9.00 (handicapped persons with ID, accompanying person free, if indicated on the ID), €23.00 (families, 2 adults and children under 18).  €9.00 for groups of 10 adults or more (per person), students (up to 27 years) and senior citizens and €3.00 for school groups (6-18 years) per person.  SalzburgCard: one time free admission

Kollegienkirche (Salzburg, Austria)

On our way to Mozart’s Geburtshaus, we passed by Universitätsplatz (“University Square”) where a farm market takes place here every Monday to Friday.  The square lead up to  the Kollegienkirche (Collegiate Church, sometimes called the Universitätskirche), another elaborate Baroque church of Salzburg. Grace and I went in for a visit.

Kollegienkirche (Collegiate Church)

Kollegienkirche (Collegiate Church)

The church, dedicated to “Unserer Lieben Frau” (Our Blessed Lady), was built between 1694 and 1707 from the local Benedictine university founded in 1622. The university was disbanded in 1810 but reopened in 1962 as part of the University of Salzburg whose main campus is in the suburb of Nonntal. After Napoleon Bonaparte’s invasion of 1800, the church was converted into a hay store. Kollegienkirche functioned as a military church and, under the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, was a classical secondary school. In 1922, the premiere of the Great World Theater was held here. With the reopening of the University of Salzburg, Kollegienkirche regained its original purpose.

The bright and spacious interior

The bright and spacious interior

One of the most celebrated churches in Austria and he largest church in Salzburg from the Baroque period, it was designed by the great Baroque architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach (who also built the Mirabell Garden, Holy Trinity ChurchMarkuskirche and Dreifaltigkeitskirche). Attached to the church  is the Furtwänglerpark, a lovely piece of green, and the oldest buildings of the university.

Altar built by Josef Anton Pfaffinger in 1735

Altar built by Josef Anton Pfaffinger in 1735

The Kollegienkirche, built on a modified Greek cross (cruciform) plan, has a unique, ornamental north-facing convex façade with many finely wrought details. It is flanked by two free standing bell towers.  On the top of the façade are four tapering statues resting on a coping which is bordered by balustrades.

Figures above the tabernacle

Figures above the tabernacle

Its spacious and bright interior, with its very steep proportions, is one of the most impressive and unusual creations in Baroque style. It is filled with elaborate stucco works, large windows surrounded by delicate decorative features, the coat of arms of Archbishop Johann Ernst von Thun set in the closing gable area, angels and an eye-catching Maria Immaculata statue, designed by Fischer von Erlach and Diego Francesco Carlone, framed by statues of the Four Evangelists on the left tower and of the four Church Fathers on the right, all done by Michael Bernhard Mandl. The porch is separated from the nave by three round-arched arcades. The cupola and transept are situated exactly in the center.

Side Altar (1)

Side Altar (2)
Initially, instead of a high altar, the Kollegienkirche choir originally held only a high tabernacle of stone.  Today, however, the church does have an altar, made by Josef Anton Pfaffinger and dating from 1735. Its seven classical columns (representing the Seven Pillars of Wisdom), of red marble, in the center hall, are topped by angels, with St. Michael the Archangel in the middle.

Side Altar (3)

Side Altar (4)

Around the tabernacle are figures, surmounted by throned allegorical figures representing Faith, depict the various aspects of the human spirit. Above the angels is a stucco aureole of clouds, rays and putti (cherubs) encircling the floating Immaculate Virgin. This design, by Fischer von Erlach, was executed by Diego Francesco Carlone and Paolo d`Allio.

Side Altar (5)

Side Altar (6)

The elaborate side nave altars bear remarkably intense colors. The altar paintings on the left hand side were made by Johann Michael Rottmayr in 1721 and depict St. Barromäus. The painting is flanked by St. Rupert and St. Vergillius.  The altar paintings on the right hand side, painted by Rottmayr in 1722, depicts St. Benedict baptizing a pagan chief.  It is flanked by St. Erentrude and St. Scholastika. The Stations of the Cross, depicting the passion of Jesus Christ, adorn the spandrels.

Statue of St. Joachim

Statue of St. Joachim

Statue of St. John

Statue of St. John

The statues in the side chapels refer to the “Fakultäten,” the schools of the university: St. Thomas Aquinas (school of theology), St. Luke (school of medicine), St. Ivo (school of law) and St. Catherine (school of philosophy). The sparse use of sculptures and stucco works aims to highlight the architecture.

Statue of St. Leonard

Statue of St. Leonard

Kollegienkirche: Universitätsplatz (University Square), 5020 Salzburg, Austria. Tel:+43 662 841327.  Open daily, 9 AM – 6 PM.