VIENNA (Schonbrunn Palace)

VIKING TRAVELOG GRAND EUROPEAN RIVER CRUISE RHINE-MAIN-DANUBE RIVERS DAY 13 – VIENNA (Schonbrunn Palace)

SPLENDID RESIDENCE OF THE HAPSBURGS Tour the magnificent home of the Hapsburg Dynasty, built to rival the sprawling Château de Versailles. With your guide, drive just outside the city center to the monarchy’s fabulous summer residence. In 1569, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II erected the original hunting lodge here and called it Schönbrunn, meaning “beautiful spring.” In 1775, Empress Maria Theresa, the only female ruler of the Hapsburgs, added the grand neoclassical Gloriette colonnade so she could have sweeping city views. Enjoy a guided tour of the imperial apartments and grandly furnished rooms where Maria Theresa resided. Learn about her extraordinary reign, which featured many military campaigns and domestic reforms in medicine, education and civil rights. There will be free time to explore the formal gardens.

https://www.schoenbrunn.at/en/about-schoenbrunn/the-palace/tour-of-the-palace/ [Virtual tour of the Palace]

On the forty-five-minute bus ride to the Schonbrunn Palace, our guide Rainer Toih told us some history of the palace: “The palace was built in 1620 as a small hunting pavilion. The old town of Vienna was surrounded by a fortification that protected it; in those days cities were protected by walls. Some of the walls still exist, like in Nuremberg, with cobblestone inside. Outside the walls of Vienna used to be a forest, the Vienna Forest (Wienwald) in the north. East is where the new high-rise buildings are. “At the time the forest extended into the basin (the city bowl). The Hapsburgs loved to go riding into the forest, and as they rode into the forest they saw water coming out of the ground – that was a well. An order was given to build a well, and it was simply called, ‘The Beautiful Well.’ And that’s why the palace today is called Schonbrunn, which means the beautiful well. “Where they saw water coming out of the ground they built a small hunting pavilion, and then in about 1720 the first plans were drafted to make a palace there. The Hapsburgs envied the French kings, especially the palace in Versailles that Louis XIV ordered to be built. The Hapsburgs literally said that if they have a palace, we also need one of those. In 1740, they started the construction by Wolfgang Fischer von Erlach. The palace as we see it today dates back to 1750. “The understanding in those days was to have a summer residence – the rulers figured their rulership was given to them by God (i.e. they were chosen by God). The idea was to not live amongst the loyal servants and people who served the ruler, but to live separately from them. That explains the 20 miles distance in Versailles (from Paris), except the distance for the Hapsburgs was only four miles. “Building a palace was a matter of prestige. Another reason was to escape the stinky city. There was in those days the idea that if you bathed too often, your skin would peel off. So the stinkiness developed, and therefore moving to the forest away from the city was a choice almost out of necessity. “Let’s come back to Schonbrunn Palace. It was built in 1750, and yellow was the most preferred color. It was called imperial yellow, a dark-colored yellow. Only 40 of the 1441 rooms are known as Imperial Rooms. Everybody that served and worked for the Hapsburgs lived in the palace: the chambermaids, the bodyguards, kitchen personnel, gardeners, and so on. Everybody who worked there was accommodated there. “When the Hapsburgs were sent into exile after WWI, the palace became an empty place. Nowadays, part of the palace is open for visitors (like the Imperial Rooms), and the rest of the rooms are now apartments that you can rent. The only difference is that you don’t have to work for the Hapsburgs anymore. We’re going to see 20 out of the 40 rooms – the Highlights Tour.”

It was raining most of the day, and we had our red Viking umbrellas with us as we walked towards the twin obelisks at the entrance to Schonbrunn Palace.

As cosmic symbols, obelisks were associated with the sun cult of the Ancient Egyptians. The obelisk represents the path of the rays of the sun down to earth, while the four edges signify the cardinal directions.

In Baroque iconography the obelisk stood for princely steadfastness and stable government. Held to be the only creature that can approach the sun without coming to harm, the eagle perching on top symbolizes the ruler mediating between heaven and earth.

The first view of the Schonbrunn Palace through the entrance gates was one of awe at the immensity of the building. The history of the palace and its vast gardens spans over 300 years, reflecting the changing tastes, interests, and aspirations of successive Habsburg monarchs. The Schönbrunn Palace in its present form was built and remodeled during the 1740–50s during the reign of empress Maria Theresa who received the estate as a wedding gift. Franz I commissioned the redecoration of the palace exterior in the neoclassical style as it appears today. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sch%C3%B 6nbrunn_Palace

Between 1817 and 1819 the palace façades were modernized by Johann Aman. Working in a Neo-classical spirit, he wanted to improve the balance and unity between the various parts of the building; he extended the pilasters up to the main, continuous entablature and removed the Rococo decoration on the garden side. The delicate blue tint of the exterior was changed to ochre, the ‘Schönbrunn yellow’. The last phase of renovation of the palace interior took place under Emperor Francis-Joseph; a restoration from 1869 removed much of the early 19th-century alterations, replacing them with neo-Baroque copies of the original 18th-century work. http://www.everycastle.com/Schonbrunn -Palace.html

Fountain in the forecourt (front of palace): Danube, Inn, and Enns Rivers - by Franz Anton von Zauner, Joseph Baptist Hagenauer. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Donau,_Inn_und_Enns

At the 20th session of the World heritage committee in Dec. 1996, it was decided to include Schonbrunn Palace in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Inclusion in this register confirms the world-wide importance of the former imperial residence of Schonbrunn and its park as a unique work of baroque art. The Schloss Schonbrunn Kultur-und Betriebsges m.b.H was founded in 1992 with the aim of preserving Schonbrunn as a unique cultural heritage for future generations.

UNESCO World Heritage, 1996

Inside the palace foyer – Habsburg & Palace charts: Genealogy of House of Habsburg, 1740-1918 (fantastic webpage with photos/bios) https://www.habsburger.net/en/habsbur gs The House of Habsburg (also spelled Hapsburg in English) and alternatively called the House of Austria (Haus Österreich in German). The throne of the Holy Roman Empire was continuously occupied by the Habsburgs from 1438 until their extinction in the male line in 1740. The house also produced emperors and kings of Bohemia, Hungary, Croatia, Galicia, Portugal and Spain with their respective colonies, as well as rulers of several principalities in the Netherlands and Italy. From the 16th century, following the reign of Charles V, the dynasty was split between its Austrian and Spanish branches. Although they ruled distinct territories, they nevertheless maintained close relations and frequently intermarried. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_ Habsburg

Schonbrunn in the time of widowhood. The sudden death of Emperor Franz I Stephan in 1765 was followed by a new phase of decoration in the palace in which several of the rooms the imperial couple had shared were transformed into memorial rooms with precious Chinese lacquer panels and costly tropical hardwoods. The palace and its gardens were more or less completed by 1770, although Schonbrunn Hill, rising behind the Great Parterre, was as yet merely a clearing in the forest. After considering elaborate plans by the court architect Johann Ferdinand Hetzendorf von Hohenberg (1733-1816), which the dowager empress discussed in numerous letters with her daughter Marie Antoinette, the French queen, Maria Theresa decided on a simplified solution for this new part of the gardens, with the Neptune Fountain at the foot of the hill and the Gloriette on its crest.

The laying of Schonbrunn Hill was carried out in tandem with the redesigning of the Great Parterre. Here mythological figures executed by Johann Wilhelm Beyer and his workshop were placed along the lateral clipped hedges. At the same time several architectural features were erected in the part, including the Roman Ruin, the Obelisk Fountain and the eponymous “Schoner Brunnen” or “Fair Spring”. By 1780, the final year of Maria Theresa’s life, all the work had been completed, and one year previously the park and gardens – with the exception of the Privy Gardens – had been opened to the general public.

View from the Schonbrunn Palace of the garden area.

View of the Neptune Fountain and the Gloriette in the distance.

A Hunting Lodge for the Heir to the Throne. In 1683 the chateau de plaisance built by the dowager empress Eleonore of Gonzaga fell victim to the devastation wrought during the Turkish siege of Vienna. After the besieging forces had been defeated, Leopold I decided to build a new stately seat at Schonbrunn for the heir to the throne, his eldest son Joseph. In 1688 the architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach (1656-1723), who had trained at Rome, designed what is known as the “Schonbrunn I Project”, a grandiose but unworkable scheme which nevertheless so impressed the emperor that he commissioned concrete plans for a hunting lodge from him a few years later. This was built between 1696 and 1700, partly on the existing foundations of the chateau de plaisance destroyed by the Turks.

The building of the side wings faltered as a result of the War of the Spanish Succession and the completion of the interior came to a halt after the sudden death of Joseph in 1711. The unfinished structure was then used as a dower residence, with only the central and west wings being habitable. That Fischer von Erlach’s “Schonbrunn II” design was in fact built is confirmed by the painting Partridges in the Park at Schonbrunn, executed by Johann Georg Hamilton in 1732.

Our guide Rainer Toih began the Highlights Tour by taking us up the blue staircase. His commentary as we walked from room to room was recorded and later transcribed by me to be included in this webpage. I will include his comments in quotes. I will also quote from the Book (Schonbrunn Palace – see resources). Imperial Tour https://www.schoenbrunn.at/en/about-schoenbrunn/the-palace/tour-of- the-palace/ The Imperial Tour (or Highlights Tour for us) would include seeing room 20- 40 (from center right – to left wing). Small photos are taken from the tour-of-the-palace website. No photography was allowed inside the palace (except at the entrance and exit). The left wing was the Eastern Wing of the palace. Visit the apartments of Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Elisabeth and a tour the Rococo state rooms of the palace.

The Blue Staircase. “It’s called the Blue Staircase, with a red carpet. This was the main entry into the palace.” (guide) The carpet was red when we visited. Book: “The space now occupied by the Blue Stairs was once the dining room of Joseph I’s hunting lodge. It was remodeled around 1745. The name of the staircase derives from the delicate blue wash used for the walls which dates from Maria Teresa’s time. (p. 10)

Lantern Room (20) Rainer (guide): “The Hall of Lanterns is the first room on our tour. It was used for an audience, a conference, or a banquet. The visitors were greeted by people with lanterns in their hands. It was a waiting room. You could look through the windows and see who was arriving.” Book (p. 25): “This was where the lantern-bearers used to wait in the days before the palace was electrified, in order to light the way after dark.”

Great Gallery (21) Rainer (guide): “The Grand Gallery is the center of the palace, and also the largest room at 40 meters x 10 meters. They had balls here, which they still have today. Some say it looks like the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles.” Book (p. 25): “The Great Gallery provided the perfect setting for court festivities such as balls, grand receptions and festive banquets. In day-to-day court life, this huge room was used as an antechamber (waiting room).”

Small Gallery (22) Book (p. 28): “The Small Gallery was decorated at the same time as the Great Gallery. Like the fresco in the Great Gallery, it is also an allegory, this time glorifying the wise and benevolent rule of the House of Habsburg in Austria.” The Great Gallery ceiling fresco glorified the Military Academy, with the god of war Mars and goddess of war Minerva being enthroned.

Chinese Room (23&24) Rainer (guide): “Why Chinese? Because it was an exotic far-away country, a mystical country (if you want). To get to China in those days you had to travel a long way to get to the Sea of China.” Book (p. 29): “The East Asian Cabinets were appointed with precious chinoiserie furnishings and decorations, testifying to the admiration for the lacquer work, silk wall hangings and porcelain from China th that started in the 18 century.”

Carousel Room (25) Rainer (guide): “The painting by a Dutch master is called the Carousel, and so the room is also called the Carousel Room. War broke out after Empress Maria Teresa came to the throne. On the right side of the painting is the joy and celebration of the end of the war. The Carousel was a dance of carriages.” Book (p. 30): “The Lady’s Carriage Parade or Carousel (painting) shows an event that celebrated the withdrawal from Bohemia of the French and Bavarian forces that had threatened Maria Teresa’s position after the death of her father, Charles VI in 1740.”

Hall of Ceremonies (26) Rainer (guide): “It was a waiting room, if you wanted a meeting with the Hapsburgs. In those days, the marriage policy was to arrange marriages into noble households. “ Book (p. 31): “The cycle of paintings represents a socio-political and family event that took place in 1760, the marriage of Joseph, the heir to the throne, to Isabella of Parma, granddaughter of Louis XV.”

Stallions Room (27) Book (p. 34): “The name of the room derives from the equine portraits.

Elegant horses, bred from impeccable pedigrees at the imperial studs, were considered the expression of aristocratic lifestyle and courtly magnificence. The Lipizzans are today the most famous breed of horses associated with the Viennese court.”

Blue Chinese Salon (28) Book (p. 36): “The rice-paper hangings display floral motifs on a yellow background together with vertically arranged panels with scenic representations. Executed in black ink and bronze paint, these scenes are intended to illustrate four activities that were important for the European onlooker in China: silkworm breeding and silk production, rice growing, the manufacture of porcelain and the cultivation of tea.”

Vieux Laque (Black Lacquer) Room (29) Book (p. 37): “The room was remodeled by Maria Teresa as a memorial room to her much-loved husband, Franz Stephan, following his sudden death in 1765. The precious decorations with black lacquer panels from the imperial manufactory in Peking were originally produced as folding screens. The panels are painted with genre scenes, landscapes and representations of flowers and birds.”

Napoleon Room (30) Rainer (guide): “Napoleon had a small problem – he was not of royal descent. The rulers in those days understood themselves as chosen by God. Napoleon was a son of poor Italian immigrants, with an Italian name, Napoleon Bonaparte. He needed a lady of noble descent, so he married Marie Louise, daughter of the reigning emperor Franz II in 1810 to seal the peace between the two rulers.” Book (p. 40): “Napoleon stayed in the room twice, in 1805 and again in 1809.”

(Blue) Porcelain Room (31) Rainer (guide): “Nothing in this room is made of porcelain except for the chandelier. Porcelain was made by the Chinese, so they painted the room blue, making it look like porcelain. It was a matter of prestige. Nowadays, porcelain is called China.” Book (p. 41): “The paneling is articulated by garlands of flowers and fruit that rise from a balustrade and are cinched together by Chinese-style parasols. In between are 213 blue ink drawings with Chinese genre scenes which were executed by Franz Stephan and his children.”

Millions Room (32) Rainer (guide): “This room was called the Millions room because it was the most expensive. It had rosewood, with very expensive inlaid work. If you’ve seen the movie, “The Monuments Men,” you will know that the Nazis packed up royal treasures and hid them in the salt mines of Sazburg.” Book (p. 43): “During WWII, the paneling was dismantled and taken to be stored in the saltmines at Altaussee in order to preserve it from destruction.”

Gobelin Salon (33) Rainer (guide): “If you noticed, we walked from one room to the other like through a tunnel. To solve the problem of the traffic this caused, a secret corridor ran behind the rooms for servants to use. On the right hand side you can see a secret handle, which is part of a door that opens to the secret corridor.” Book (p. 44): “In 1873 the room was completely refurbished and hung with 18th century Brussels tapestries showing market and harbor scenes. The complementary armchairs displayed scenes representing the 12 months and 12 zodiac signs.”

We did not go into this room. Archduchess Sophie’s Study (34)

Red Salon (35) Rainer (guide): “It’s called the red room because it’s red. On the left side, again, you can see the handle to the hidden door. Why are they all dressed in red? [Emperor Franz II, Emperor Ferdinand I] They belonged to the Order of the Golden Fleece, an organization built on trust. If you picture the Austrian Empire at the time, it was about the size of Texas. If you wanted to issue an order, you had to write it down, and have a messenger ride a horse across the country. At the end of the day you had to hope that the person who received your order would deliver it. So you had to build an inner circle of trust, hand-picked people whom you could trust.

We skipped this room. Eastern Terrace Cabinet (36)

Rich Room (37) Book (p. 48): “Exhibited in this room today is the only surviving bed of state from the Viennese court. The bed of state was a ceremonial attribute rather than an item of furniture in daily use. The ornate interior of this bedroom consists of the bed of state with its canopy, counterpane, textile wall panels and curtains, all made of red velvet with precious gold embroidery.”

Study/Salon of Franz Karl (38&39) Book (p. 52): “The famous family portrait in the room shows Emperor Franz Stephan and Maria Teresa with 11 of their 16 children.”

Hunting Room (40) Book (p. 52): “This room is the last room in the tour, recalling the erstwhile function of Schonbrunn as a hunting lodge. The painting entitled ‘Partridges at Schonbrunn’ by Johann Georg Hamilton shows the palatial hunting lodge built by Fischer von Erlach.”

https://www.sisi-shop.at/ (Official shop) I bought this book in the gift shop. I probably overpaid, but it was worth it. It had lots of information and beautiful color pictures.

This statue stood at the exit, past the gift shop.

This replica of the oven was at the exit.

This is the view looking back from the palace towards the entrance.

The gardens were absolutely so immense that it would take days to cover all the ground of each and every aisle. In fact, there were small gardens within the Grand Garden. Book (p. 60): “Conforming to the Baroque conception of princely palaces, according to which architecture and Nature should interpenetrate, the palace and its gardens form a unified whole, each element relating to the other in a variety of different ways.” https://www.schoenbrunn.at/en/about-schoenbrunn/gardens/

Artemisia II of Caria - "Artemisia mourning her husband" (01) by Jakob Schletterer and Johann Baptist Hagenauer According to legend, when her beloved husband Mausolus died Artemisia had his ashes collected in an urn and mixed a portion of these daily in her drink.

Following the death of her brother/husband, in whose memory she built the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemisia_II _of_Caria

https://www.schoenbrunn.at/en/about-schoenbrunn/gardens/tour-through-the- park/statues-at-schoenbrunn/

Alexander (the Great) and Olympias (his mother), who tells him that Jupiter is his father.

Calliope. "Calliope, the beautiful voiced, muse of epic poetry" (02) by Christian Wilhelm Beyer Crowned with a laurel wreath, the figure carries a scroll in her left hand and two flutes in her right hand, attributes that identify her as the Muse of epic poetry.

Calliope was the muse of epic poetry and the daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne. She was Homer's muse and the inspiration for the epic poems Odyssey and Iliad.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calliope

Walking from garden to garden in the back of the Schonbrunn Palace.

Brutus (founder of Roman Republic) Ceres (goddess of fertility) & Dionysius & Lucretia (dying in his arms) (god of wine-making)

Aeneas Escaping Troy "The flight from Troy" (05) by Philipp Jakob Prokop This group represents the Trojan hero Aeneas saving his aged father Anchises from the city, which has been sacked by the Greeks, followed by his young son Julus. During the Baroque era this episode was regarded as a parable of piety and care for the welfare of others, two of the most important princely virtues.

I think you can tell that my wife Elsa loves gardens.

And I love posing in front of Greek art, like the Neptune Fountain. http://www.visitingvienna.com/schonbrunn/neptune-fountain/

The Neptune Fountain at the foot of the Gloriette hill was designed to be the crowning monument of the Great Parterre.

Elsa could have spent the entire day just in the garden (or gardens).

Rainy day at the gardens of Schonbrunn Palace.

Priestesses and priests were appointed by the assembly to serve specific gods and goddesses, to perform rites and sacrifices, and to instruct worshippers on various rituals. This priestess is shown holding a bowl for libation.

"Cumaean Sibyl" (20) by Vinzenz Lang and J. B. Hagenauer after a model by W. Beyer Among the prophetesses of the ancient world, the Sibyl of Cumae came to have major importance for Rome. She is said to have offered books of her prophecies to King Tarquin. The king found the price she was asking for them too high, whereupon she threw some of the books onto the fire. Recognizing the incalculable value of the books, the king eventually paid the original price for the remaining books, which from then on were kept in a temple on the Capitol. The figure here points to the burning books at her feet while carrying three under her arm. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumaean_ Sibyl

The statues line both sides of the Great Parterre (Garden area leading from the palace to the Gloriette (hill).

Asclepius, god of healing and medicine. Priestess of Ceres and Bacchus (fertility) His staff represents the Tree of Life, while the snake represents wisdom

Another lane leads to more statues, more places to explore.

Ceres Priestess. Ceres was a Roman divinity who represented the generative power of nature. Associated with the earth goddess Tellus, Ceres was worshipped in Rome from ancient times. Her cult on Aventine Hill in Rome was her most famous. Her temple there was completed in 493 BC and soon became a center of plebeian life. Following a funeral, mourners would offer sacrifices to Ceres as a way of purifying the home of the deceased. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceres_(myt hology)

The flowers were in full bloom.

Heracles (Hercules) - greatest hero. Perseus, with the head of Medusa https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heracles https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perseus

Quintus Febius Maximus Verrucosus. Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus (c. 280 BC – 203 BC) was a Roman politician and general who was Roman Consul five times and Roman Dictator twice. As a military strategist, he became known as Cunctator (delayer) for the tactics he employed during the Second Punic War. Equipped with armour and helmet the general is represented in contemplative mood, leaning on the fasces, a bundle of rods from which an axe protrudes, symbolizing the supreme power held by the Roman consuls. (The rods symbolized the right to punish and the axe the right to impose the death sentence.)

"Flora" (27) by W. Beyer Holding a garland in her hand, Flora, goddess of flowers and blossom, belongs to the retinue of the earth and fertility goddess Ceres and represents Spring. Flora was the goddess of flowers and spring, who was first given a temple in 238 BC near the Circus Maximus. Celebrations were held there in her honor every April. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flora_(myth ology)

The Imperial eagle on top of the Schonbrunn Palace. The Imperial eagle was the symbol of the ruling House of Habsburg.

Abduction of Helena. Janus (two faces) & Bellona (war goddess) (Left) This group of three figures shows Paris carrying Helen, his right foot placed on a package containing treasures from the coffers of Menelaus. Between his legs kneels a man with anchor and ropes in his hands, keeping a ship ready for their flight.

Mars & Minerva "Mars and Minerva" (30) by V. Königer Wearing a plumed helmet, Minerva, goddess of the arts of peace, prevents Mars, the god of war, from drawing his sword from its scabbard. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_(myth ology) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minerva

A rose is a rose is a rose.

It was time for us to leave the beautiful palace.

One last change for a photo opportunity.

Sphinxes grace the way to the city of Vienna. View from palace entrance.

The twin obelisks frame the view of the palace.

We both enjoyed being part of royalty as we toured the palace.

Anonymous bus driver allowed me to take a photo of his Viennese Moustache.

Resources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sch%C3%B6nbrunn_Palace (Schonbrunn Palace) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sculptures_in_the_Sch%C3%B6nbrunn_Garden (sculptures in the Schonbrunn Garden) https://www.habsburger.net/en/habsburgs Genealogy of House of Habsburg, 1740-1918 (fantastic webpage with photos/bios) https://youtu.be/fEYA5glblDM (13:02, YouTube) Schönbrunn Palace - Schloß Schönbrunn - Vienna Tourist Guide Travel & Discover https://youtu.be/ZK1mtoQrUi8 (9:33, by Expoza Travel) Schönbrunn Palace Vacation Travel Video Guide https://www.schoenbrunn.at/en/about-schoenbrunn/the-palace/tour-of-the-palace/ [Virtual tour of the Palace]