Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna
Posted On November 26, 2009
Schönbrunn Palace is an old royal summer residence. It is located in the Vienna, in Austria. Schönbrunn Palace has the privilege of being one of the most significant cultural monuments of the country. Also it has been declared as the most visited tourist destination since 1960. The designs of the palace and its surroundings gardens have been influenced by the Habsburg monarchs.
Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II purchased a huge floodplain on the banks of the river Wien in the year 1569. This floodplain is located underneath a hill and between Heitzing and Meidling. The former owner had construction a mansion on this plain in the year 1548. The mansion was named Katterburg. The emperor had ordered fencing to be made around the area. Many games were placed in the area; as a result the area played a role of hunting ground which was created with the sole-intention of leisure. In the mansion fishponds were also built. Foreign birds such as peafowl as well as turkeys were kept in a special area.
The meaning of the name Schönbrunn is “beautiful well”, it is inspired from the artesian well which provided the water to the court.
By the next 100 years this area was used particularly for recreation and hunting. Eleonore Gonzaga spent most her time here as she loved hunting. She donated her widow’s residence after Husband’s death. Eleonore Gonzaga was married to Ferdinand II. A new palace was added to the Katterbury mansion by Eleonore Gonzaga. The name Schonbrunn came in the use for the first time in the year 1642. It is believed that Schonbrunn has its origin much before Eleonore Gonzaga.
Roman ruin was originally known as the ruin of Carthage. The architect Johann Ferdinand Hetzendorf von Hohenberg had designed it. A new architectural monument was erected by Ferdinand Hetzendorf von Hohenberg in the year 1778.
The Roman ruins have a rectangle shaped pool beside the pool there is a huge arch, an excellent impression of the age-old construction, creative walls etc. You will come across a disorganized arrangement of stone fragments in the front of the pool in the ruin. The arrangement is used as a symbol of Enns as well as Danube rivers.
In the middle of the 18th century which witnessed the rise of the Romantic Movement, the style of the charming ruins became far-reaching. The ruins symbolized both the decline of the super powers as well as the protection of the left behind of the brave history. Obelisk Fountain planned the iconographic program that included a park that was to be erected at the same time. It was located very near to the roman ruins. The park that was created at Schonbrunn was a symbol of permanence and stability.
In 1961 the palace was used for the significant events like the meeting that was held between Nikita Khrushchev andF.Kennedy.
The Schonbrunn palace is included in the World Heritage list by UNESCO in the year 1996. The gardens were also included in the lists for its incredible Baroque collection also because it is a good example of the fusion of the arts.
