Belvedere Palace

Belvedere is a palace complex consisting of the Lower and Upper Belvedere, a greenhouse and a stable courtyard. All this splendor was built at the beginning of the XVIII century as the summer residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy.

The Lower Belvedere was designed by architect Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt. It is assumed that in 1712 it was completed. The inner chambers include the Prince's bedroom, the Grotesque Hall, which is decorated with bas-reliefs with distorted faces, the Marble Gallery and the Marble Hall, richly decorated with frescoes and sculptures by Altomonte Martino, the Golden Cabinet and the dining room. A large space was set aside for the greenhouse and the personal stable of the prince, where the 12 best horses were always ready to leave. The garden surrounding the palace was laid out in French style, with gravel decorations, designed by Dominique Gerard, a pupil of André Lenotre, creator of the gardens of Versailles. Almost the entire atmosphere of the hall has survived to this day and is open for visitors.

In 1717 construction of the Upper Belvedere began. In 1723, it was already completed, but the architect Hildebrandt had to change his design somewhat due to the threat of collapse of the walls. Thus appeared vaulted ceilings that have survived to our days. The upper palace was turned into the prince’s residence. There were numerous guest bedrooms, living rooms and banquet halls.

From the childless prince, the palace was inherited by his niece, who sold it to the royal couple. Empress Maria Theresa moved a significant part of the collection of paintings and art from the Hofburg. Inspired by the idea of enlightened absolutism, she wanted to put all the wealth of the ruling dynasty on public display. Today, both palaces house painting galleries, with collections of paintings ranging from the Middle Ages to modern art.

The park complex of the palace is especially protected: a three-level garden, with two large cascades, pools, fountains, figures of Sphinsks, muses and Roman gods.