Schönbrunn Castle Park

The château and its park are inseparably linked.Despite the fact that the complex is already outlined in Fischer von Erlach’s blueprint, the garden design can be traced back to Jean Trehet, a disciple of Le Nôtre who began planning in 1695 and was constantly working at Schönbrunn until 1699.Later on, at least temporary employment is to be anticipated.The breadth of the parterre dates back to Trehet (it was probably barely half its present length at the time), and he had the bosquets laid to the side of it.There are some comments on Trehet’s layout, but no pictures.

The bottom floor was enlarged to its current size about 1750 after Maria Theresa chose the palace as her summer house in 1742.Emperor Franz I Stephan was particularly concerned with the complex’s layout, having the zoo established in 1752 and the Dutch botanical garden established in 1753 on land bought for this purpose, which adjoined the former area to the west.Adrian van Steckhoven, a Dutchman, and his assistant Richard van der Schot were commissioned to make this.Although the existing orangery was finished in 1755, plans for the hill only got so far during the Emperor’s reign that a road was constructed into the forest to continue the parquet floor.

Maria Theresa did not engage Hetzendorf von Hohenberg to completely remodel the hill and park, which her adviser Kaunitz had previously suggested to court in 1765, until seven years after her husband’s death.

Hohenberg’s original idea (1771/1772) called for a vast basin on the hill to feed a variety of fountains, including the Neptune Fountain and four more on the Great Parterre.Work on the structure began in 1773.A star-shaped basin that had been on the parterre’s central axis since approximately 1700 was relocated to the western bosquet, where it now appears as a star basin or western Naiad fountain.

It wasn’t until 1776/1777 that it became clear that Hohenberg’s original plan couldn’t supply the water requirements of the fountains, therefore twelve fountain basins that had previously been dug were filled in again, four on the huge ground floor and the others on the hill.Instead, Hohenberg focused on the design of the Neptune Fountain after finishing the obelisk fountain (1777) and the ruins (1778).This was implemented in 1780, while Maria Theresa was still alive.

Emperor Joseph II opened the park to the public about 1779, much to the chagrin of the court nobles, and it has since been an important leisure space for the Viennese populace.The gardens were overseen by the Federal Gardens Vienna Innsbruck when the monarchy ended.Franz Matschkai replaced Rottenberger.Brigitte Mang is in charge right now.

The ultimate objective of the Roman Empire is addressed most prominently in the three park buildings: after the glorious conclusion of battles (Gloriette), the House of Habsburg rules over the globe as the heir of the Roman Emperors till the end of time (Obelisk), while its opponents are condemned (Ruin).

Large ground floor

The Great Parterre, which has stretched along the complex’s main axis to Gloriette Hill since before 1780, lies at the heart of the park.(It was barely half the size about 1750, and a lot of subsequent plans could not be executed. A plan from approximately 1770, in particular, that called for four big fountains was unable to be implemented due to a shortage of water.)

The 32 sculptures placed up on the edge of the “large parterre,” like the other figures in the park, were mostly constructed in Johann Christian Wilhelm Beyer’s workshop and according to his vision.They are mythological or historical people from Greco-Roman mythology.

Fountain of Neptune

The spectacular Neptune Fountain, located at the bottom of the slope, aesthetically completes the parterre with larger-than-life statues while also forming the transition to the hill.It was finished just before Maria Theresa’s death after four years of building.

Neptune’s sea journey is a metaphor for the prince who can guide his people over the pitfalls of fate.

Roman ruins

The artificial ruin, designed by Hohenberg and built in 1778, is based on Piranesi’s drawings of the remains of the Roman Temple of Vespasian and Titus.It was once known as the Carthaginian Ruins.The original colour was recreated using a current watercolor and paint remnants left on the stones during the restoration, which was finished in 2003.

The structure is made up of a massive semicircular arch and lateral wall wings that encircle a rectangular basin and give the appearance of an old palace sinking.Beyer erected a collection of figurines made of Sterzingen marble portraying the river gods of the Vltava and Elbe in the basin, on an artificial island.

The statue of Hercules combating the powers of evil towering above the ensemble halfway up the slope in the backdrop, directly in the axis of the archway.The aim was to route water cascades from there to Carthage, much like a deluge, but this was never implemented because to a shortage of water and money.The terraces built for this purpose, however, may still be seen in the remaining grassy aisle.

Artificial ruins, which became popular with the emergence of Romanticism in the mid-18th century, represent both the collapse of former glory and a reference to one’s heroic past (by celebrating its purported remains).This explains the reinterpretation of the walls, which had previously been referred to as Roman remains until roughly 1800, emphasizing the Habsburgs’ claim to prolong the empire.Not far from there, an obelisk fountain created recently matches the landscape design’s iconographic concept and strengthens the same assertion.

The main measurements are 35.4 m in length, 20.35 m in breadth, and 15.76 m in height.

Obelisk Fountain

Hohenberg also designed the obelisk fountain, which was finished in 1777, according to the gilt inscription on the base.

A grotto mountain rises from the pool, inhabited by river deities and capped by an obelisk supported by four golden turtles.The golden eagle at the top is a sign of total stability, here with an explicit reference to the pharaohs, and a representation of the House of Habsburg’s continuance.The hieroglyphs carved into the obelisks to honor the monarchs, on the other hand, were far from deciphered at the time.

Gloriette

The Gloriette in the palace grounds of Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna is the largest and most well-known of all Gloriettes.

The Gloriette was erected in 1775 as the garden’s final building, according to plans by Johann Ferdinand Hetzendorf von Hohenberg, as a temple of renown, as well as the garden’s major eye-catcher ( point de vista ) and at 241 m above sea level.A. Viewpoint constructed on top of the same.Empress Maria Theresa made the decision to build the Gloriette because “there is an old gallery of stone columns and cornices in Neugebau (Neugebäude Palace) that is of no use… to have them demolished from there and brought to Schönbrunn.”The gallery and pillars, as well as the bull’s heads and other components, are fashioned of hard, white Kaiserstein and were reused in the Gloriette.These pillars and “other large stonework” were treated in the Imperial quarry on Leithaberg by the working group of master stonemasons Bartholomäus Pethan and Antonius Pozzo and their colleagues.

The major measurements are 84.3 m long, 135.3 m wide with stairs, 14.6 m wide, and 25.95 m tall.

The Gloriette eventually served as Emperor Franz Joseph I’s dining and banquet hall, as well as his breakfast room.The dining room was utilized until the end of the monarchy and is now a café; on the top is a viewing platform with a view over Vienna.Johann Baptist Hagenauer created the sculptural embellishment.During WWII, bombs severely destroyed the Gloriette, but it was repaired in 1947.It was renovated again in 1995.

The three central arches of the Gloriette were glazed from 1790 to 1910.Following that, the Gloriette was devoid of glass and therefore an open area.Following a dispute in which architects in particular protested about “contemporary design,” glass in a historical style based on old images was added during the 1990s renovation, and the Café Gloriette opened in April 1996.

Further east is the so-called Small Gloriette, which is actually a two-story pavilion rather than a Gloriette.

The Gloriette is a testament to the good conflict that resulted in peace.The War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748) and the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763) followed Maria Theresa’s accession to the throne.

Pigeon house

The pigeon house was constructed in 1750.It is a tall circular wire mesh aviary with a copper dome-like canopy capped with a knob.The spacious rotunda now has four masonry niches for the birds to roost in.

The system of routes that travels around the complex was set up approximately 1760 in ring-shaped and radial passageways known as “Ringelspiel” in Schönbrunn jargon.Over time, the home was concealed by the spreading trees and “went out of sight.”The terms of UNESCO World Heritage Site listing required the operators to cut trees and bushes around the house to the point where it may be utilized in line with the previous garden plan.

Palm House

The palm house is another popular feature in the castle park.Emperor Franz Joseph I commissioned it from his court architect Franz Xaver Segenschmid in 1880 in order to present the extensive Habsburg plant collections from all over the world, which had previously been distributed in several glass houses, in a worthy setting, and it opened after only two years of construction.The initial planting was finished in 1883.The Schönbrunn Palm House is the biggest glass house in mainland Europe and one of the three largest in the world, measuring 111 meters in length, 28 meters in breadth, and 25 meters in height.It is home to over 4,500 plant species, some of which are permanently planted, but a greater number of which are shown as flowering tub plants according on the season.

Sundial house

An additional point of interest is the desert house, which was introduced in 2004 at the sundial house constructed in 1904.

The edifice was constructed under the auspices of Emperor Franz Joseph I and was designed by Alfons Custodis. Its purpose was to serve as a repository for the “New Dutchman Collection”, which derived its name from the Australian flora it contained. Over time, the collection has expanded to encompass specimens from South Africa, South America, and North America.Additionally, it served as a shelter during the winter season.

Following a comprehensive renovation, the Desert House was established in this facility in 2004 as a collaborative effort between the Federal Gardens and Zoo Administration. This project served as a counterpart to the Rainforest House, which was established in the neighboring zoo in 2002. Furthermore, the exhibit showcases avian, reptilian, and small mammalian species indigenous to arid regions.

Princes’ Pavilion

During the 19th century, the Schönbrunn Palace Park served as a venue for the military instruction of royal heirs.A recreational area comprising a playground, gymnastics facilities, and a parade ground was established for the imperial children within the Meidlinger Depression, situated between the “Lichter Allee” and the “Finsterer Allee”.A small-scale fortress was utilized as a training or recreational bastion and as a tool for imparting military education.

In 1835, a garden pavilion was constructed on the premises, which was accompanied by a small animal zoo and a straw Indian hut.

The pavilion, which spans approximately 120 square meters, functioned as a shelter from precipitation and a shield from intense sunlight.In contrast to Bastion, the game in question remains in existence.The establishment was initially established as a coffee house in 1927 and has been operating as Landtmanns Jausen station under the management of the Querfeld family since 2013.

Vienna, Austria