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Schönbrunn: The ultimate royal palace Posted
July 29, 2004
By CRISTINA MAS VIENNA— The magnificent landscape that contains meters and meters of gardens and mazes that lie in the back of the Schönbrunn Palace here, provided a sense of peacefulness for the royalty that lived within these massive walls. On the other hand, life inside the walls of the palace was sometimes hectic and filled with social events such as formal balls, lavish dining and other royal entertainment.
The palace is filled with lavish gold decorations and crystal mirrors. The Great Gallery, for example, was created to hold the most exquisite parties by the Austrian kings and queens. These parties included guests such as the young composer Wolfgang A. Mozart, a prodigy to classical music and native to this Austrian capital. Schönbrunn’s 1,441 rooms will take more than one day to experience this renown Hapsburg palace. In 1569, the Schönbrunn, which was an estate once owned estate by various people, including the mayor of Vienna, Hermann Bayer, fell into the hands of the Hapsburg king Maximillian II. The estate served as means for hunting, which after Maximillian died then Rudolph II took over it and provided funds to keep the place standing for visitors. Then Ferdinand II and his wife inherited the estate and enjoyed hunting very much. The place appealed to him due to the vast landscapes it provided for such games.
When Charles I obtained the estate, he decided to give it to his daughter Maria Theresa, who turned Schönbrunn into the magnificent decorated palace we see today. She hired architect Nikolaus Pacassi, and the hunting lodge that attracted many kings and queens before was turned into the summer living quarters fit only for royalty. In the west wing of the palace, you will encounter many rooms of the Hapsburgs monarchy. One of the many includes the Billiard Room, which contains paintings of the Hapsburgs as well as a pool table that belonged to Franz Joseph I. This room illustrates what the emperor liked to do in his free time. There is a pool table located in the center of the room with pool cues. There is also the Walnut Room, which contains wood paneling. Chandeliers and a wooden desk along with antique chairs are found here. Franz Joseph would have guests come over, some including government leaders and ministers. In the central wing, visitors find the Great Gallery. This area held the most exquisite parties by Maria Theresa who enjoyed mostly throwing parties for her family members. She would also love to have her children involved in these festivities by performing ballet recitals that would empress many of the royal visitors. This room is decorated in white and gold. The ceiling is painted with frescos, which reveal the political situation of the era. There are chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and electric candle-style lights on the walls, trimmed in gold. This room provides the luxury and space for some of the most important visitors here.
The Porcelain Room is a must-see. This room reflects the style of Chinese porcelain. It is all wooden paneling, but is painted like Chinese porcelain, which is blue and white. Also in this room of delicacy are carvings of the faces of the royalty that once lived there, such as Marie Christine. Some rooms are being refurnished on the ground floor, which does not allow access to the public at the moment. This space includes rooms in which Marie Theresa and her children lived. One of these rooms has a garden style to it. Painted palm trees with flowers are on the walls. It provides a sense of peacefulness, which probably let the person connect with nature without having to go beyond the palace walls. Outside of the palace are vast landscapes with monumental statues. There are also mazes in which visitors may walk. Also, there is a zoo, which contains animals such as panda bears, deer and beavers. Many of the rooms strike people as they catch a glimpse of the architecture and intense detail to each room in the palace. “The Porcelain Room is one of my favorites. It’s an illusion because it’s all wooden and they painted it to look like porcelain,” stated Katharina Harnis, who is from Vienna and works in the palace. Katarzyna Polinski, 22, likes to say that her favorites are the Josef Wenzel Bergel Rooms which she stated, “appears as the Garden of Eden because of the flowers and the trees that are painted on the walls.”
She also works in the palace and talks about how the palace receives funding. The palace is supported primarily by visitors. It also hosts wedding ceremonies and live concerts with well-known contemporary artists. Lenny Kravitz, David Bowie and Dido were among the popular singers who have in front of the palace. The palace’s funding also comes from showcases of the traditional horses known to Vienna called the Royal Lipizzaner stallions. Classical music concerts will take place as well. A number of people live within the palace walls, Polinski noted. “People live in the palace upstairs. Servants used to live there. It used to be a servants quarter.” With all the concerts and showcases, inhabitants and visitors to see the palace, it makes enough money to support itself without state funds. “During lunchtime, from 12 to 1, is more silence. In the summer, it becomes very crowded as well as Saturday and Sunday.” Funds raised from these various sources are used for maintenance and restoration. Between the decorative rooms and the enormous gardens and landscaping that are in the back of the palace, there is no question why centuries of rulers decided to make it their home. As you walk in the palace today, it will not fail to strike you to wonder what it would be like to live in such a place of magnitude and beauty.
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