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Published: October 1st 2014
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There were quite a few passengers on the U4 line. Many of them got off at Schönbrunn and headed the same direction as us. Various types of tickets were available – we decided to buy “classic pass”, which would allow us to look round most of the principle rooms, formal gardens, and Gloriette.
Some of the principle rooms were under renovation works. Nevertheless, this didn’t deter us; we were offered to see approximately 40 rooms as we last visited. My parents were given Japanese leaflet with a brief history of Schönbrunn and the buildings that preceded the palace site going back to the Middle Ages.
According to the copper engraving produced in 1672, it was the Imperial Pleasance and Deer Park. The ownership of the palace was passed on to the Emperors during the Hapsburg time and the building work was carried out accordingly. However, there had been a number of difficulties in completing the building work due to the war. Eventually, the ownership was passed to Emperor Charles 1
st daughter, Maria Theresa. She employed one of the prominent architects, Nikolaus Pacassi. He remodelled the former hunting lodge into a grand palatial residence, features of which have been reflected
in today’s appearance.
We saw a number of rooms with intricate decorations, golden framed mirrors, portraits and historic paintings, crystal chandeliers, luxurious furniture, stunning collections of porcelain and ceramics, most of which were associated with Maria Theresa. There were a wide variety of ceremonies and big parties held regularly during Maria Theresa’s time and those historic scenes were painted and hung in the gallery. Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth spent their both private and official life in Schönbrunn for five years after their marriage. There were some rooms and furniture which were associated with Elisabeth.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s musical genius was identified from his early years. He was apparently invited to the Empress’ palace and performed on the harpsichord in the Mirror Room.
The ceiling frescoes by the Italian artist, Gregorio Guglielmi, in the Great and Small Gallery were spectacular, and illustrated the prosperity of the Habsburg Empire and under the rule of Maria Theresa. One of the amazing things is that she delivered sixteen children. We saw the famous portrait of Franz 1
st Stephan and Maria Theresa with eleven of their surviving children.
It was lunch time when we finished looking round the palace.
There were several restaurants in Schönbrunn. We chose the one near Meidling Gate. It was very hot in Vienna on 23 June. The sun was ruthlessly blazing down on the grounds of Schönbrunn. We decided to sit the table outside. Each tables had parasols so it was quite pleasant and it offered lovely views of the rose garden. My parents had sachertorte – the typical Austrian chocolate cake – which had been recommended by one of my mother’s friends. Mark had soup with bread, and I chose the kirsch. My dish arrived late, as it was freshly prepared with free range eggs, bacon and vegetables. It was delicious – I didn’t complain.
Having considered the sizeable grounds and hot weather, we thought it would be wise to take the land train. The land train was running from the main gate. After collecting the fares from the passengers, the driver drove past Wagenburg Museum, Lady Elisabeth Garden, Hierzinger Gate, Palm House and brought us to Gloriette. There were commentaries of each historic places operated in German, English and French. The driver said to the passengers that he would stop at Gloriette for 10 minutes. Standing on the hill and centre
of the site, it offered great panoramic views of the palace, garden and surrounding residential areas beyond.
In the meantime, my mother realised that she had left her sketch book somewhere. She was certain that she had left it in the restaurant. We therefore didn’t stay in Gloriette and returned to the bus. After arriving at the main gate, my mother and I rushed to the restaurant. I asked the waiter if someone had submitted the personal sketch book. He said that he had been very busy and he hadn’t seen the sketch book. When we had nearly given up our hope, two elderly ladies talked to me and mentioned about something in the toilet which seemed to have been left by somebody. I went to the toilet and found my mother’s sketch book. We thanked the waiter, those elderly people and other customers for taking the time for us. Afterwards, we went back to the main gate where my father and Mark were waiting.
I was interested in Lady Elisabeth Garden, so we walked to there. We saw lovely climbing roses on the arches, pink and white begonias on the beds and colourful flowers on the urns,
crimson and white lilies on the pond.
My father was rather reluctant to browse through the garden in the hot weather, but I wanted to show the Neptune Fountain, which is one of the highlights in Schönbrunn. We took the shadowy route towards the destination. He managed to reach the destination, but he decided to sit down and let us explore around the fountain.
Like the souvenir shop at Hofburg, there were a wide variety of goods related to Habsburg Empire, Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth. I bought a biography of Empress Elisabeth.
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