The palace, which was intended as the seat of the Salamanca family, was started by Gabriel von Salamanca-Ortenburg in 1533. It took his sons and grandsons about 60 years to complete it, but the original design was followed owing to a wooden model supplied by the architect and mentioned in Gabriel’s will.

The architect is unknown, but he must have been one of the Lombards from the area of Lake Como who was responsible for introducing the Italian Renaissance to northern Europe.

There are striking parallels between Schloss Porcia and the contemporary Belvedere (started in 1538) at Prague Castle, by Paolo Stella, although the exterior of Schloss Porcia is a less up-to-date version of an Italian Renaissance palace.

Porcia Palace was designed as a cube with three main stories and an attic, and with circular towers at the northwest and southeast corners. The exterior façades are rather plain, the most notable features being two sets of triple-arched and balconied windows on the first and second floors. The courtyard, however, is unexpectedly splendid, with three stories of arcades running around three sides of the court.

These arcades are adorned with sculptural decoration of rich imagination by local craftsmen. Both stone carving (e.g. in capitals, doorframes, figural medallions, and reliefs) and stucco (e.g. arcade vaults and interior ceilings) were employed; the ground-floor arcade spandrels display emperors’ heads in medallions, with ancient gods, heroes and animals appearing above. Doorframes are richly embellished: one on the third floor, for example, is flanked by columns and has jambs decorated with allegorical and other reliefs.

In 1662 the princely Porcia family acquired the former Schloss Salamanca, retaining the building until 1918. The magnificent Baroque coat of arms above the main entrance and another on the south wall of the courtyard are evidence of their ownership, from which the palace derived its popular name.

In 1951 the Porcia Palace became the property of the municipality and currently houses a museum of local history.

Porcia Palace Location

Porcia Palace is located at the following address in Spittal a der Drau, Carinthia, Austria: 9800 Spittal a der Drau, Austria.

Porcia Palace Map

The post Porcia Palace appeared first on Every Castle.

Formerly the imperial summer residence, Schloss Schönbrunn (Schönbrunn Palace) and its gardens to the southwest of Vienna, near the River Wien, form one of the most important creations of Viennese art in the 18th century.

Despite its apparent unity of style, the complex incorporates various structural changes resulting from its long history. After World War I the palace became a museum; it was restored after damage in World War II.

Schönbrunn Palace History

The property was originally the Katterburg, an imperial hunting lodge that was destroyed in the Turkish siege of 1683. In 1688–90, possibly in connection with the coronation in 1690 of Archduke Joseph (later Emperor Joseph I) as King of Rome, Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach was commissioned by Emperor Leopold I to draw up plans for a monumental imperial hunting lodge to be erected on the hill where the Gloriette, a garden pavilion, now stands.

The projected hilltop site for this work of triumphal architecture, with elaborate terraces and cascades, reflects the Renaissance ideas absorbed by Fischer von Erlach during his stay in Italy.

The building actually constructed in 1696–1700 looked, however, quite unlike the first utopian project. Probably for financial reasons, the architect had to forgo the hilltop site and the splendid approach, although the building’s function was raised from that of a hunting lodge to an imperial residence. For this reason, two separate courtyard blocks to accommodate the imperial household were added adjacent to each end of the main building. French and Italian models were again used in the second project (also published by Fischer von Erlach), notably Louis Le Vau’s project for the garden façade at Versailles.

On the death of Joseph I, Schloss Schönbrunn became the residence of his widow, Wilhelmina Amalia, and it was then bought by Emperor Charles VI. Remodeling and modernization began in 1743 when the young Empress Maria-Theresa ordered that the building, one of her favorite residences, should be repaired and enlarged to accommodate the imperial household in comfort. Nikolaus Pacassi was given this commission under the direction of Gundacker Ludwig Joseph and Graf von Althann. The internal arrangement of the palace was substantially changed.

Pacassi removed Fischer von Erlach’s two-story hall occupying the full depth of the palace and replaced it with two parallel galleries running the length of the central block, the Grosse Galerie, whose windows open onto the main courtyard to the north, and the Kleine Galerie, which has associated circular and oval cabinets and whose windows lead into the garden. These new rooms are leading works of Austrian Rococo architecture. Pacassi replaced Fischer’s circular staircase with a terrace and two S-shaped stairs and opened up a new driveway beneath the terrace giving access to the garden.

A mezzanine floor was inserted in the side wings, the central five bays were given an attached portico, and the stable buildings were connected to the main block by a colonnade to create a huge entrance court. In the northwest corner of the main courtyard, the Schlosstheater was built.

Most of the important parts of the Rococo decoration of the palace from the reign of Maria-Theresa have survived. A new, intimate style of living, which in some respects anticipated the early 19th-century Austrian Biedermeier, was realized here between 1760 and 1775; the Porzellanzimmer, Miniaturenkabinett, and Schreibzimmer are good examples. The fashion for the Picturesque also found its way into the palace: the landscape rooms by Joseph Rosa, with romantic views of wild mountains, and by Johann Wenzel Bergl, with exotic, tropical motifs, show a desire to break out of the ceremonial framework of the Baroque.

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 the 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.

Schönbrunn Palace Gardens

Fischer von Erlach’s ideas on the layout of the gardens were largely undeveloped in his first project, the ramps, grottoes, and cascades which followed outdated ideas on landscape design from the Mannerist villas of Italy. In the second project, the garden was divided into monotonous box-edged borders, with a small belvedere planned for the hilltop. The layout executed in1705 by the landscape gardener Jean Trehet only partly followed Fischer von Erlach’s scheme, and unfortunately, no plan of the garden from this period has survived. From later documents and illustrations, it can be concluded that some of the existing compartments of the ornamental shrubbery near the palace date back to Trehet’s work.

The present arrangement of the garden between the palace and the hilltop was laid out in the 1750s and features long avenues of trees clipped to form tall hedges flanking the parterre. It is based on the ideas of the State Chancellor, Prince Wenzel Anton Kaunitz-Rietberg, who was especially interested in the French taste; the diagonal avenues and the diverse shapes of the areas of ornamental shrubbery are in the manner of Jacques-François Blondel. An important part of the work was carried out by artists from Lorraine who came to Vienna with Maria-Theresa’s husband Emperor Francis I.

Adriaen van Steckhoven from the Netherlands laid out the so-called Holländischer Garten, where the Emperor could indulge his keen interest in botany.

Schönbrunn Palace Location

Schönbrunn Palace is located in Vienna, Austria. Adress: Schloß Schönbrunn, 1130 Wien, Austria. Places to visit: Schönbrunn Palace and the Gardens.

Schönbrunn Palace Map

The post Schönbrunn Palace appeared first on Every Castle.

The origin of this cultural landmark can be traced back to the 13th –century, as a Gothic fortress. Since 1622 the palace was owned by the Esterházy family.

Esterházy Palace was used as an important place for social, cultural, and political meetings, chiefly due to its prime location at the intersection of Eastern and Western Europe.

The structure is unique because it combines a baroque style of architecture with an austere neoclassic style as well as influences of Austrian Biedermeier design. The Haydnsaal (Haydn Hall) is thought to have one of the most beautiful interiors and finest acoustic setups in the world.

Esterhazy Palace Opening Hours

The Esterhazy Palace is a very popular tourist attraction, not only because of its beauty but also because it hosts a number of cultural events every year.

Today, the Esterházy Palace is the prime cultural venue and architectural attraction of Burgenland.

The palace is open for visits and guided tours are available. For more information about tickets and tours visit the official site at Esterhazy.at

Esterhazy Palace Eisenstadt Location

Esterhazy Palace is located in Vienna, Austria at the following address: Wallnerstraße 4, 1010 Wien, Austria

Esterhazy Palace Eisenstadt Map

The post Esterházy Palace Eisenstadt appeared first on Every Castle.

Schallaburg Castle is situated near Melk Abbey in Lower Austria. Positioned among hills in the Danube valley, Schallaburg castle combines imposing medieval ruins with a splendid Renaissance palace.

Schallaburg Castle History

The high-medieval sections dating from the 11th and 12th centuries are dominated by a three-story tower house and surrounded by crenelated walls; remains of the Romanesque crypt are preserved under the present chapel. The Losenstein family inherited the castle in 1431. Most of the original fabric was removed when Hans Wilhelm von Losenstein, Lord of nearby Loosdorf and a member of the old Protestant gentry, decided to make his domain an important center for the Protestant nobility. Continuing work begun by his father, he had the castle extensively rebuilt and enlarged from 1572 to 1600.

At the heart of the Renaissance structure is the great courtyard, the Terracottahof made by Jakob Bernecker. The rich terracotta figurative decoration includes herms, caryatids, reliefs, masks, and heraldic emblems (many replaced in the 19th century) and presents allegories of the main ethical and spiritual ideals of the period: the Seven Liberal Arts, eight Virtues, and the Nine Muses. Aside from the main entrance a vast tiltyard was laid out, and outer fortifications were constructed. In 1614 Schallaburg castle passed to the Stubenberg family, also Protestants, but never again attained comparable importance.

Schallaburg Castle Opening Hours

The Schallaburg Castle was devastated in 1945, but it was restored in 1968–1974 and adapted as a museum for annual art exhibitions.

Schallaburg Castle Location

Schallaburg Castle is located near Melk Abbey, Austria.
Adress: 3382 Schallaburg, Austria.

Schallaburg Castle Map

The post Schallaburg Castle appeared first on Every Castle.

The Salzburg Residenz (Alte Residenz) was built in the 16th century by Prince Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau. Its architectural style is Italian baroque style.

This magnificent historical structure, located right at the heart of the city and used for entertainment purposes by the Royal family for centuries, is now owned by the Salzburg province.

It has more than 180 rooms and three spacious courtyards. The government uses the staterooms, located on the second floor, to host important state functions, official meetings, receptions, and international conventions. Also located on the second floor is the Residenz Gallery, an art collection.

Salzburg Residenz is a major tourist spot owing to its cultural and historical significance. The palace is located under Residenzplatz 1 in Salzburg.

Salzburg Residenz Location

Salzburg Residenz is located in Salzburg, Austria at the following address: Residenzplatz 5020 Salzburg, Austria.

Places to visit: Salzburg Museum, Salzburg Cathedral, and Alte Residenz.

Salzburg Residenz Map

The post Salzburg Residenz appeared first on Every Castle.

Hofburg Complex – Structure and Architecture

The Schweizerhof (Swiss Wing) at the center of the Hofburg complex, is an approximately square structure first documented in 1275. Originally a part of the medieval fortifications of the town, it was flanked by four corner towers and a gate tower and was surrounded by a castle moat, now partially filled in. Extensive alterations determined its present appearance: the façades were accentuated by simple Renaissance windows, the inner courtyard was given ground-floor arcades (subsequently bricked up), the rooms were replanned and most were decorated with ceiling paintings by Pietro Ferabosco, who may also have decorated the richly embellished Schweizertor.

In the mid-18th century, narrow internal staircases were built, the Botschafterstiege (Ambassadors’ Staircase) projecting into the courtyard, and on the opposite side the Säulenstiege (Column Staircase), which until 1988 led to the Schatzkammer (Treasury). In the southeast corner of the Schweizerhof is the Burgkapelle, first mentioned in 1296 and rebuilt in the 15th century. Embellished with tracery, it originally had two floors; in the upper hall, which has three bays, net vaults, and a five-sided apse, are 13 noteworthy Late Gothic figures of saints surmounted by baldachino, which are the work of followers of Nicolaus Gerhaert. After a Baroque remodeling in the 17th and 18th centuries, the interior was restored in the Gothic style in 1802.

The Quadrangular Stallburg was built as a separate residence for Emperor Maximilian II. Isolated from the rest of the Hofburg complex by the Reitschulgasse, it can be reached only by a footbridge. It is the most important Renaissance building in Vienna. In contrast to the unadorned outer walls, the inner courtyard is surrounded by three-story arcades. The ground floor has been used since 1565 as stables, while the imperial picture gallery was displayed from 1721 to 1778 in the upper rooms designed by Claude Le Fort du Plessy.

The Amalienburg at the northwest end of the Burgplatz (‘) was built as a self-contained residence for the Habsburg archdukes. It was remodeled in 1581 by Ferabosco and was the first building in the complex with an articulation that determined its visual impact. The interplay between the windows and asymmetrically placed portal and its decorative rustication and cornices together make it one of the most important buildings of Austrian Mannerism. In 1712 its proportions and articulation were substantially altered by the addition of a mezzanine floor.

The Leopoldinischer Trakt was built between 1660 and 1667 for Emperor Leopold I by Philiberto Lucchese to replace a sentry walk on the city wall between the Schweizertrakt and the Amalienburg. Although articulating elements are omitted from the Burgplatz front of this long residential wing, the even sequence of vertically linked windows and shallow pilasters on the outer façade is a typical device used on prestigious buildings in Austria and Bohemia in the second half of the 17th century. Soon after its completion, the new wing was destroyed by fire; it was rebuilt by Giovanni Pietro Tencala to the old designs but with a mezzanine floor added. In 1699, for the marriage of Archduke Joseph (later Joseph I), the royal apartments on the first floor were decorated with 148 ceiling paintings by Peter Strudel; they constitute the largest surviving decorative cycle of the Austrian Baroque.

The Burgplatz has existed since the 16th century; surrounded by the Schweizertrakt, Leopoldinischer Trakt, Amalienburg, and the administrative building of the Hofkammer and Reichskanzlei (former imperial chancelleries), it was used as an arena for tournaments and theatrical performances and now contains the monument of Emperor Francis I by Pompeo Marchesi. In 1723 Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt was commissioned by the imperial chancellor Prince-Archbishop Lothar Franz von Schönborn to rebuild the Reichskanzlei; his simple façade on the Schauflergasse, facing the city, and the arrangement of the interior have survived, although many rooms were subsequently remodeled, including the imperial state rooms.

The Reichskanzleitrakt, occupying the entire north side of the Burgplatz, was completed for Emperor Charles VI by Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach, who succeeded Hildebrandt in 1726. He demolished Hildebrandt’s original Burgplatz façade and erected a new frontage dominated by flat surfaces accentuated by three projections. The façade is articulated by giant pilasters and richly embellished with sculpture; the four statues on the two side gateways, representing the Labours of Hercules, are by Lorenzo Mattielli.

The Winterreitschule and half the Durchfahrtsrondell, the opening between the Burgplatz and the Michaelerfront on the city side, were executed to Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach’s competition design following Hildebrandt’s overall rebuilding plan for the Hofburg.

The plain street façade of the Winterreitschule is characterized by a high, rusticated ground floor below giant pilasters framing blank panels; in contrast, on the side facing the Michaelerplatz, a rounded corner is emphasized by recessed free-standing columns and a small cupola.

The severe, monochrome riding hall takes up the whole interior; its striking effect is produced mainly by monumental free-standing colonnades on each side, with balustrades supporting viewing galleries above, and by the enormous scale of the flat white ceiling with stucco coffering. The remainder of the Michaelerfront was completed only in 1889–1893 by Ferdinand Kirschner.

At the center of the new concave frontage is the Michaelertor, a triumphal arch articulated with columns like the Winterreitschule and crowned by a tall dome above the Durchfahrtsrondell; it is flanked by two curved wings, one adjoining the Winterreitschule and the other having a matching termination, with rounded, colonnaded corners and cupola.

The Hofbibliothek (now part of the Austrian National Library) was built between 1722 and 1736 to plans by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and completed by his son Joseph Emanuel. It was conceived as a detached building on the south side of the Josephsplatz and was aligned to Johann Bernhard’s Hofstallungen, the imperial stables built just outside the walls. The flat, pilastered façade of the library is dominated by the projecting central oval of the Prunksaal (Hall of State), its dome expressed externally in angular roof forms. A masterpiece of the Viennese Baroque, the Prunksaal is two stories in height and contains eight marble statues of Habsburg emperors by Peter and Paul Strudel.

The Volksgarten was laid out in 1819–1823, when Ludwig von Remy also laid out the Heldenplatz, with two equestrian statues added in 1860 and 1865. Between the Leopoldinischer Trakt and the Schweizerhof, facing the Heldenplatz is the large, Neo-classical Zeremoniensaal by Louis Joseph Montoyer. Opposite is the fortified Burgtor, built in a revolutionary Neo-classical style to commemorate the Battle of the Nations (1813). It was begun in 1821 by Luigi Cagnola and completed by Peter Nobile in 1824.

Hofburg Palace Location

Hofbur Palace is located in Vienna, Austria at the following address: Hofburg B, 1010 Wien-Innere Stadt, Austria.

Hofburg Palace Map

The post Hofburg Palace appeared first on Every Castle.

Hellbrunn Castle is a baroque castle located in Salzburg, Austria.

Archbishop Marcus Sitticus von Hohenems commissioned Santino Solari to build a small castle to be used as a summer palace.

Hellbrunn Castle Architecture

Schloss Hellbrunn (1613–1619) is an Italian-style palace and it is the earliest of its kind north of the Alps. Situated at the end of a long avenue, the building is a cube of classic simplicity, with a bifurcate staircase opening onto a cour d’honneur.

The most remarkable interior features of the Hellbrunn Palace are the Festsaal (the banqueting hall), set asymmetrically on the west side, and its projecting octagon, with frescoes by Arsenio Mascagni (1579–1636).

Hellbrunn’s main attraction, however, is its gardens. The Lustgarten or Pleasure Garden was laid out north of the castle and furnished with an unusual variety of grottoes, fountains, ponds, and other features including the Roman Theatre, a miniature exedra dominated by a statue of Rome.

Here, the famous Stone Table with seats, supplied with ingenious hydro-mechanism that still works, was erected to entertain the Archbishop’s guests.

A later addition was the Mechanical Theatre made by Lorenz Rosenegger and others, in which various scenes from court life were performed by automata.

South of the castle the vast Ziergarten or Flower Garden was laid out; this was altered around 1730 from an Italian to a French garden. Towards the end of the 18th century, an English garden was added. On the slope of the hill at Hellbrunn the Stone Theatre (around 1617), the first open-air theatre north of the Alps was constructed. With its artificial stone stage, it blends perfectly into the natural surroundings of the castle.

Hellbrunn Castle Opening Hours

You can visit Hellbrunn Castle from April to November. The price of a ticket for an adult is currently 9.50 euros. You can find more information about opening times and tours on the official website at http://www.hellbrunn.at/en/

Hellbrunn Castle Location

Hellbrunn Castle is located in Salzburg, Austria. (Adress: Fürstenweg 37, 5020 Salzburg, Austria). This map will help you with directions to Hellbrunn Castle.

Hellbrunn Castle Map

The post Hellbrunn Castle appeared first on Every Castle.

Located in Vienna, Austria, Belvedere is the grandest of the garden palaces surrounding the inner city beyond the Glacis that were built for the aristocracy and upper bourgeoisie from the late 17th century. Some of these are mere garden houses, but some are quite substantial, and the Belvedere is in size and function almost a resident.

Belevedere Palace History

Prince Eugene began buying plots of land in 1693 at a prestigious site south of the city: the elaborate Palais Schwarzenberg lies to the west and the Salesian Convent to the east. The site, where the first garden was laid out in around 1700, was a narrow and very long strip of land sloping upwards to the south. Hildebrandt was involved from at least 1702, and the city plan of 1706 by Leander Anguissola and Jakob Marinoni shows a palace at the foot of the slope.

Occupying the whole width of the site, it had a small courtyard with curved wings to the street and either an oval or semicircular main hall facing the garden, reminiscent of work by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, who designed Prince Eugene’s city palace (begun 1696), later completed by Hildebrandt.

As executed during 1714-1716, the Lower Belvedere has straight wings around a courtyard towards the street and a single-story flat façade of 35 bays facing the garden. The general appearance is that of an orangery, and indeed only the central pavilion and the west wing contain living rooms, with two orangeries of eleven bays each flanking the central pavilion.

The orangery façades are very simply decorated with banded walls and pilaster strips between the windows; the central pavilion has Corinthian pilasters and more elaborate window frames. The three central bays rise through two stories and contain the main hall, which was frescoed in 1716 by Martino Altomonte, who painted the figurative parts, and Marcantonio Chiarini (1652–1730), who executed the architectural aspects.

In 1717 after the completion of the Lower Belvedere, the Bavarian court landscape designer Dominique Girard was invited to design the Belvedere garden. He divided the long strip into three rectangular areas, with trees and fountains next to the Lower Belvedere and two partly sunk parterres beyond. The central axis is a visual one only and the way up is by ramps on either side of the parterres, making use of the sloping ground. The garden sculpture is by Lorenzo Mattielli (1678–1748) and his workshop; the iron railings of c. 1725 are among the most important examples of the period in Austria.

The point at which the Upper Belvedere, a second building higher up the hill, was first conceived cannot be determined as the Prince’s archives have disappeared. To have a building at the other end of the garden to close the vista was quite customary in Vienna, but these were nearly always small and often transparent. The idea of a hilltop palace was the basis of an unexecuted design of 1688 by Fischer von Erlach for the emperor’s palace at Schönbrunn, and it is perhaps significant that Prince Eugene took up the idea and had it executed by Fischer von Erlach’s rival, Hildebrandt.

Upper Belvedere construction started in 1721 and must have been completed in the concise time of two years. Seen from the garden, the north façade of the

Upper Belvedere is a long, single range of 29 bays articulated as a series of seven pavilions; the large octagonal one at the center has a mansard roof, and pairs of small octagonal pavilions at either end are domed. This design owes much to the French system of linked pavilions, as seen in the Tuileries, Paris, although the very rich and decorative treatment of the walls clearly indicates Hildebrandt’s personal style. Although the parts appear as pavilions on the roofline, they are firmly tied together by horizontal cornices and entablatures; the architectural ornament, including pilasters, capitals, and window surrounds, becomes richer towards the center.

Because of the sloping ground, the entrance façade on the south side of the Upper Belvedere has a semi-basement instead of a ground floor and the building thus appears to be even longer.

In the center is a single-story loggia giving direct access to the staircase that leads up in paired flights to the Festsaal on the first floor and down to the sala terrena, where atlantids support the roof vaults. The sala terrena has an almost possessive view over Vienna, the symbolic importance of which can be measured by both the silhouette carefully included in Saloman Kleiner’s view of the sala terrena and a painting by Bernardo Bellotto made from roughly that viewpoint. The interiors are partly lost, but what remains gives an idea of the Prince’s rather heavy and sumptuous taste.

The Belvedere Palace must have been an ideal commission: an imposing building and garden of princely dimensions fit for the most important person in the empire after the emperor himself, and a client who was often absent, with few personal needs and no family, and with hardly any financial limitations.

In 1752 Prince Eugene’s heirs sold the Belvedere to the crown and in 1779 its park was opened to the public. From 1781 to 1891 it housed the imperial picture gallery, and after 1923 it housed important collections of the Österreichische Galerie

Belvedere Palace Location

Belvedere Palace is located on Prinz-Eugen Street, Vienna, Austria. (Adress: Prinz-Eugen-Straße 27, 1040 Wien, Austria).

Belvedere Map

The post Belvedere Palace appeared first on Every Castle.