Don Quijote de Viena
Wien, 1. Bezirk (the art of listed palace buildings in the core of downtown Vienna) - Palais Hofburg (Michaelerplatz/Michaelertrakt/Reitschulgasse), the gate Michaelertor
Only by for Austria successful outcome of Ottoman wars in Europe the conditions were given to turn the old Hofburg, which until now was more fortress than imperial residence, into a befitting palace of a powerful dynasty. When Emperor Charles VI in 1711 succeeded to the throne, stood along the Schaufler alley until St. Michael's square yet the old two-story Chancellery Wing from the time of Ferdinand I. It was significantly lower than the Amalien wing and the Leopoldine wing, bordering the Interior Castle courtyard on the southwest and the southeast side. Between the Chancellery Wing and the Swiss courtyard there was a by Daniel Suttinger created Gate construction. In its place erected Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt in 1712 the so-called Carolingian Triumphal Arch but which was as well demolished in 1728 because now they had laid the foundation for a much more representative Chancellery Wing and in 1723 started the construction work. Hildebrandt's plans provided the unification of the entire inner castle but failed in the end due to the immense cost. 1726 he had to cede construction management to in the meantime appointed Court architect Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach. This one let the already finished construction at Schaufler alley remain but put in front of it the splendid late baroque wing at the courtyard side. Fischer too could due to lack of sufficient liquid funds of the Imperial family his ideas which comprehended also the entire castle not fully realize. Work came to a halt in 1735 and was finally discontinued. The St. Michael's gate was only from 1888 after the demolition of the old Hofburg theater finished.
Herakles of Mattielli
In Chancellery wing were until 1806 when Emperor Franz II/I resigned the Roman-German Imperial Crown the central offices of the administration of the Holy Roman Empire housed. This included especially as the most important Imperial authority the Aulic Councel. 1810 lived here the French ambassador Berthier, when he, on behalf of Napoleon, asked for the hand of Maria Louise, the daughter of Francis I. At the time of the Vienna Congress in some rooms of the Imperial Chancellery Wing was housed the king of Bavaria. 1848 served archduke Johann a suite of rooms as an apartment. In the summer of this year, he received in Great Audience Hall a delegation from Frankfurt Imperial Diet, offering him the dignity of a "German Imperial Regent". A few years later the rooms were renovated, refurbished and converted into apartments for the Imperial family. Traditionally, no Austrian Emperor has taken over the apartment of his predecessor. Franz Joseph moved into his apartment in 1857, three years after his marriage, and lived there until his death in 1916. The apartment of his wife Elisabeth was in the neighboring Amalien wing. Today, the Imperial Apartments as well as the recently opened Sisi Museum and the former Court Silver and Table Room can be visited. The latter is dedicated to the culture of courtly household and the court ceremonial.
While the front is not very spectacular in Schaufler alley, turns the five-story face side of the Imperial Chancellery Wing towards the interior courtyard. This one served till the 16th century as a tournament court. In 1561 issued Thurnierbuch (tournament book) is yet of tournaments of the future Emperor Maximilian II reported which this one had held here in June of last year. In the 17th century but here no more tournaments took place but mounted tournaments, as the then popular horse ballet. The long facade facing the courtyard is accented by three only little projecting risalits with portals and balconies (1727/29) and divided by giant pilasters. The design of the façade is already reminiscent of the design language of French classicism. Franz Joseph and Elisabeth got through the Imperor's gate in central projection to their rooms on the first floor. The leading upwards Emperor's stairway has a magnificent stucco marble equipment and is decorated with gilted bronze vases. But it is hardly ever used. Today's visitor entrance to the Imperial Apartments is located beneath the dome of St. Michael's gate. The five windows above the Emperor's gate are preceded by a long balcony which rests on strong consoles. On the attic of the central projection is attached the huge blazon of Emperor Charles VI with the double-headed eagle. It is overtopped by the German imperial crown and surrounded by a golden chain with the Golden Fleece. Flanked is it by two, carrying trumpets genii. Beside the portals of the side projections stand each two sandstone sculptures of Lorenzo Mattielli. They show the deeds of Hercules. On the ground floor were housed until 1918 various court offices, as the Chamber for payments of the Court, the House, Court and State Archives (until 1902) and the Control office of the Court. In the premises of once Imperial linen room was from 1921 to 1987 the Vienna tapestry manufacture whose leading products have been exported throughout the world.
Study of Franz Joseph
Additionally to the living quarters of the Emperor - those of the Empress were in neighboring Amalien wing - belongs to the Imperial Apartments the Guard room where the bodyguards were on sentry duty but most of all the large Audience waiting room and the Audience chamber, where the Emperor, standing at his desk, used to receive his visitors individually. Under Maria Theresa, took place the deliberations of the Imperial, Court and State Councils of the former Imperial Chancellery in Audience waiting room. Unfortunately, this beautiful, decorated in white, red and gold hall was similarly to fairy-tale grotto recently equipped with figurines in the national costume of the individual crown lands in order to document that here waited people from all walks of life and from all provinces of the country for an audience. During his long reign, there were at least more than 250,000. In this room, hang large, many-figured murals (1832) of Biedermeier painter Peter Krafft, showing scenes from the life of Emperor Franz I. From the ceiling hangs a eighty-flammy Bohemian crystal chandelier still dating from the time of Maria Theresa. The originally fitted with candles chandelier of the Imperial apartments were in 1891 electrified. The ornate pottery kilns partly still stem from the 18th century. They were heated externally via the situated behind the rooms heating passage with wood. In the equipment of his private rooms the personal modesty of the emperor is reflected. Unlike his wife, he had not even running water injected. Noteworthy is also the simple iron military bed that served him for decades as a place to sleep. His office, in which he most of the time was yet active from six o'clock in the morning is adorned with numerous photos and paintings of his family. Here hangs also a famous portrait of the Empress by Franz Xaver Winterhalter. The equipment of the 22 official and residential premises of Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Elisabeth, which today can be visited as Imperial Apartments, stems from several eras: from late Baroque to Rococo and the Empire to the 19th century neo-Baroque. These include also the four rooms of Stephan's apartment which is named after Archduke Stephan Viktor. The former theater corridor which enabled a direct connection to the old Hofburg Theater is walled off today.
Wien, 1. Bezirk (the art of listed palace buildings in the core of downtown Vienna) - Palais Hofburg (Michaelerplatz/Michaelertrakt/Reitschulgasse), the gate Michaelertor
Only by for Austria successful outcome of Ottoman wars in Europe the conditions were given to turn the old Hofburg, which until now was more fortress than imperial residence, into a befitting palace of a powerful dynasty. When Emperor Charles VI in 1711 succeeded to the throne, stood along the Schaufler alley until St. Michael's square yet the old two-story Chancellery Wing from the time of Ferdinand I. It was significantly lower than the Amalien wing and the Leopoldine wing, bordering the Interior Castle courtyard on the southwest and the southeast side. Between the Chancellery Wing and the Swiss courtyard there was a by Daniel Suttinger created Gate construction. In its place erected Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt in 1712 the so-called Carolingian Triumphal Arch but which was as well demolished in 1728 because now they had laid the foundation for a much more representative Chancellery Wing and in 1723 started the construction work. Hildebrandt's plans provided the unification of the entire inner castle but failed in the end due to the immense cost. 1726 he had to cede construction management to in the meantime appointed Court architect Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach. This one let the already finished construction at Schaufler alley remain but put in front of it the splendid late baroque wing at the courtyard side. Fischer too could due to lack of sufficient liquid funds of the Imperial family his ideas which comprehended also the entire castle not fully realize. Work came to a halt in 1735 and was finally discontinued. The St. Michael's gate was only from 1888 after the demolition of the old Hofburg theater finished.
Herakles of Mattielli
In Chancellery wing were until 1806 when Emperor Franz II/I resigned the Roman-German Imperial Crown the central offices of the administration of the Holy Roman Empire housed. This included especially as the most important Imperial authority the Aulic Councel. 1810 lived here the French ambassador Berthier, when he, on behalf of Napoleon, asked for the hand of Maria Louise, the daughter of Francis I. At the time of the Vienna Congress in some rooms of the Imperial Chancellery Wing was housed the king of Bavaria. 1848 served archduke Johann a suite of rooms as an apartment. In the summer of this year, he received in Great Audience Hall a delegation from Frankfurt Imperial Diet, offering him the dignity of a "German Imperial Regent". A few years later the rooms were renovated, refurbished and converted into apartments for the Imperial family. Traditionally, no Austrian Emperor has taken over the apartment of his predecessor. Franz Joseph moved into his apartment in 1857, three years after his marriage, and lived there until his death in 1916. The apartment of his wife Elisabeth was in the neighboring Amalien wing. Today, the Imperial Apartments as well as the recently opened Sisi Museum and the former Court Silver and Table Room can be visited. The latter is dedicated to the culture of courtly household and the court ceremonial.
While the front is not very spectacular in Schaufler alley, turns the five-story face side of the Imperial Chancellery Wing towards the interior courtyard. This one served till the 16th century as a tournament court. In 1561 issued Thurnierbuch (tournament book) is yet of tournaments of the future Emperor Maximilian II reported which this one had held here in June of last year. In the 17th century but here no more tournaments took place but mounted tournaments, as the then popular horse ballet. The long facade facing the courtyard is accented by three only little projecting risalits with portals and balconies (1727/29) and divided by giant pilasters. The design of the façade is already reminiscent of the design language of French classicism. Franz Joseph and Elisabeth got through the Imperor's gate in central projection to their rooms on the first floor. The leading upwards Emperor's stairway has a magnificent stucco marble equipment and is decorated with gilted bronze vases. But it is hardly ever used. Today's visitor entrance to the Imperial Apartments is located beneath the dome of St. Michael's gate. The five windows above the Emperor's gate are preceded by a long balcony which rests on strong consoles. On the attic of the central projection is attached the huge blazon of Emperor Charles VI with the double-headed eagle. It is overtopped by the German imperial crown and surrounded by a golden chain with the Golden Fleece. Flanked is it by two, carrying trumpets genii. Beside the portals of the side projections stand each two sandstone sculptures of Lorenzo Mattielli. They show the deeds of Hercules. On the ground floor were housed until 1918 various court offices, as the Chamber for payments of the Court, the House, Court and State Archives (until 1902) and the Control office of the Court. In the premises of once Imperial linen room was from 1921 to 1987 the Vienna tapestry manufacture whose leading products have been exported throughout the world.
Study of Franz Joseph
Additionally to the living quarters of the Emperor - those of the Empress were in neighboring Amalien wing - belongs to the Imperial Apartments the Guard room where the bodyguards were on sentry duty but most of all the large Audience waiting room and the Audience chamber, where the Emperor, standing at his desk, used to receive his visitors individually. Under Maria Theresa, took place the deliberations of the Imperial, Court and State Councils of the former Imperial Chancellery in Audience waiting room. Unfortunately, this beautiful, decorated in white, red and gold hall was similarly to fairy-tale grotto recently equipped with figurines in the national costume of the individual crown lands in order to document that here waited people from all walks of life and from all provinces of the country for an audience. During his long reign, there were at least more than 250,000. In this room, hang large, many-figured murals (1832) of Biedermeier painter Peter Krafft, showing scenes from the life of Emperor Franz I. From the ceiling hangs a eighty-flammy Bohemian crystal chandelier still dating from the time of Maria Theresa. The originally fitted with candles chandelier of the Imperial apartments were in 1891 electrified. The ornate pottery kilns partly still stem from the 18th century. They were heated externally via the situated behind the rooms heating passage with wood. In the equipment of his private rooms the personal modesty of the emperor is reflected. Unlike his wife, he had not even running water injected. Noteworthy is also the simple iron military bed that served him for decades as a place to sleep. His office, in which he most of the time was yet active from six o'clock in the morning is adorned with numerous photos and paintings of his family. Here hangs also a famous portrait of the Empress by Franz Xaver Winterhalter. The equipment of the 22 official and residential premises of Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Elisabeth, which today can be visited as Imperial Apartments, stems from several eras: from late Baroque to Rococo and the Empire to the 19th century neo-Baroque. These include also the four rooms of Stephan's apartment which is named after Archduke Stephan Viktor. The former theater corridor which enabled a direct connection to the old Hofburg Theater is walled off today.