Schonbrunn Palace -- Top 10 Intriguing Facts the Public Doesn't Know

 Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna

Top 10 Intriguing Facts about Schonbrunn Palace

1. It was in the beginning only a Hunting Lodge

Emperor Leopold l commissioned Schönbrunn Palace 1696. However, the real history of this palace goes back to the fourteen century. At that time period, the palace had a different name, Katterburg, and was regularly used as no more than a hunting lodge.

Throughout the Turkish sieges the "hunting lodge" was almost destroyed, consequently a new structure, the one standing now, was erected in 1696. But, the gardens and prevailing stunning quality was attributed to Empress Maria Theresa, one responsible for markedly expanding it from 1743 to 1780. 

2. Public Park from 1779

The luxurious formal gardens together with parkland were opened to everyone in 1779, becoming an instant popular site for both locals and tourists alike. 

3. Marie Antoinette's Birthplace

She was born as Austria's archduchess and spent her summers in this palace. 

4. 1441 Rooms

Do you wonder how large Schönbrunn actually is, it’s huge, with 1,441 rooms, of which just 45 can be accessed by the public. In comparison, the notable Versailles has far more: 2300 rooms.

5. Schönbrunn Translates to “beautiful well”

Schönbrunn means literally “beautiful well”. It was given this name after the well from where the court was getting their water.

6. A UNESCO Site

Schonbrunn palace and gardens demonstrate the style common with Habsburg monarchs, and the majority of it still remains as if time froze in the 17th century. That's why both the palace and gardens have been listed to the UNESCO World Heritage enrollment in 1996. 

7. The Most Renowned Resident was Murdered

Schönbrunn Palace sports a lengthy line of residents. But Empress Elisabeth, or Sisi, happens to its most favorite resident. Though the Austrian citizens loved Sisi, she was one of history's most miserable royals. Why? She hated the arrogant, formal Habsburg court proceedings, and chose to spend a lot of her time far from Vienna as well as her husband, Emperor Franz Joseph. She met her demise tragically via the hands of a Geneva's anarchist.

8. World's Longest Baroque Orangery

The orangery is at least 189 meters in length, making it the longest Baroque orangery today in the world, even longer than Versailles,' which is an easy runner up.

9. Furnishings are Genuine

Usually while you tour any historic location, the furnishings are only reproductions. But not here, at Schönbrunn Palace. The Habsburgs customized the majority of the Schonbrunn palace interior and it remains as it was since its  abandonment in 1918. 

10. Rococo Style

The palace's entire design scheme is Rococo, or known as Late Baroque

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Additional Information

Like several of its previous masters, the baroque-style garden at Schönbrunn Palace was created as a show of ambition and power to shame Versailles.' Maria Teresa who became in 1740 the Holy Roman Empire's newest ruler at the tender age of 23, was obviously yet too young and too pretty for all the responsibilities placed upon her shoulders. Already bearing a number of notable titles like Archduchess of Austria and Queen of Hungary, she began unfortunately on a wrong and unfair foot, ruling a faltering Empire along with her husband. 

Both Bchönbrunn's palace and garden got constructed throughout and following a number of failed wars with the victorious Frederick of Prussia. In 1744, actual work was initiated on the palace and later, in 1753, on the park. Its color is called "Vienna Yellow." The management of the empire as well as mothering sixteen children, left Maria thicker, stubborn, and defiant.      

Parterres and other related additions were done during the 1750s. Her French husband, who was credited for establishing both the botanical and zoological gardens at Schönbrunn, passed away in 1765. The zoo, or Tiergarten, is often characterized as the world's first, despite not being the first. It has an overall baroque outline and a nice atmosphere. The hilltop Gloriette that lends the gorgeous garden its Baroque-style focus, was finished in 1775. 

In 1778, an excellent Roman Ruin was built as a sort of monument to remember the recovery after disaster; it represents Carthage after having been defeated by Rome. The parkland was opened first to the general public in 1779. Schönbrunn's scale is breathtaking. Several of the illustrations, exhibiting the grand garden from the angle of the Gloriette, demonstrate an absence of charm, despite the garden appearing somewhat better from the palace's balcony. 

The gradual spread of fashion barely justifies the arrival of a late Baroque garden in the chronology: Maria who was strict in keeping order utilized this style as a show to prove her natural ability to maintain order firmly. Later, Schönbrunn Palace was chosen for Napoleon's headquarters. By the year 1918, the last surviving Habsburg Emperor stepped down at Schönbrunn. Just taking a reflective walk around the garden, anyone could realize why the Empire ended up in ruins. Was it excessive pride? Winston Churchill himself compared Vienna with no empire to a wild elephant wandering in a backyard indeed has a unique resonance at Schonbrunn, and can be seen as the backyard. Joseph ll opened the grounds to the public in the late 18th-century.

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Goreme Open-Air Museum -- Cappadocia's Amazing Tourist Attraction

 Goreme Open-Air Museum, Goreme, Turkey

Goreme open-air museum, situated in the picture-perfect postcard of Goreme Valley, is probably the easiest way to get here and to explore the spectacular ancient rock-carved churches in the region.

What is Goreme Open Air Museum?

The Goreme Open Air Museum which lies in Cappadocia, Turkey is a stunning collection of about 30 ancient churches that exceed in feeling most remotely from a conventional museum in today's world. You get the feeling that you just stepped back in time like a couple of hundreds of years.

History of Goreme Open Air Museum 

Since the Goreme Valley is very accessible to everyone, this area ended up being the first significant historical site to be found in Cappadocia. These rock-chiseled churches are unusual and awe-inspiring; in fact, anyone coming here might think it puzzling, on first glance, to figure out why they were carved at all. It’s a striking, nearly haunting, piece of land. The inner parts, especially those of the Buckle Church and the Dark Church, are home to the most lovely and superbly preserved frescoes in this region.

As the second century AD ended, the whole Goreme valley became a major place of Christian activity, including converts arriving here to take advantage of the valley’s natural defenses while running from persecution. But throughout the third century, Christianity, no longer in its infancy, started to assume a more uniformed character in the area as active priests were taking firmer steps to improve the region. Then, by the fourth century Cappadocia saw a momentum shift as it was called "Land of the Three Saint," which included St. George of Nazianzus, St. Basil, and St. Gregory of Nyssa. It was St. Basil who began formal worship in the community, specifically, in Goreme. 

Goreme Open Air Museum Now

Probably described most ideally as a series of monastic complexes, every monastery here hosts its very own church, plus you'll find significant features in churches like the Snake Church, Apple Church, and the Dark Church. One church boasts an atrium, which itself used to be a church, known for the frescoes' conspicuous blue paint which depict varying religious-type of scenes such as from events that Jesus Christ went through.

Lastly, the Dark Church houses one of the valley's most beautiful frescoes. Just restored, the frescoes have gotten a remarkable effect from the fine mix of navy blue, red, and ochre. They vividly tell the life of Jesus Christ, including the four evangelists. 

Be sure to visit Goreme National Park, Goreme Turquie, Goreme cave rooms, and to take in Goreme panorama.

How to Get to Goreme Open Air Museum

Since Goreme Open-Air Museum sits quite near to Goreme's heart, which is a wildly popular town located in Cappadocia, visitors could just take a comfortable, easy walk here, beginning from the center of town; it's only fifteen minutes with some uphill. 

Or several taxis could take you there, charging only a couple of dollars, for the drive is brief. Not far off you'll notice both entrances to the Meskendir Hiking Trail and Zemi Valley Hike.

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Library of Celsus -- One of Ephesus' Most Famous Monuments

The Library of Celsus

 

The Library of Celsus is one of Ephesus' most beautiful buildings. Its interior is approximately 180 square meters. Library of Celsus was constructed in 117 A.D., serving as a massive tomb for Gaius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus, acting governor of Asia's province. But he never saw the building; his son, Gaius Julius Aquila erected it after his father's demise in 110. Celsus' grave lies under the ground floor, along the entrance, plus a statue of Athena stands over it, since Athena was the goddess of wisdom.

The scrolls of ancient manuscripts were stored in cupboards in hidden niches across the walls. There were two walls standing in the rear of the bookcases for preventing potential damage from the excessiveness of humidity and temperature. The library had the capacity to hold over 12,000 scrolls. It was at the time the third wealthiest library after Alexandra and then Pergamum.

The library's facade has two floors, with distinctive Corinthian style columns standing on the ancient ground floor as well as three entries to the structure. The upper floor has three window openings. They cleverly utilized a visual trick that made the columns along the facade's sides appear shorter as compared to those at the middle, providing the neat illusion of the ancient structure being larger in size.

However, all the statues found in the columns' niches now are only replicas of the originals. Each statue symbolizes something, for example, one symbolizes wisdom, second knowledge, a third intelligence, and a fourth valor, all representing Celsus' virtues. The Austrian Archaeological Institute helped restore the library, and the statues' originals were transported to Vienna's Ephesus Museum in 1910.

Moreover, an auditorium, serving for either presentations or lectures between the Ephesus Marble Road and the library, was constructed throughout Emperor Hadrian's reign.

The Library of Celsus reconstruction occurred between 1970 and 1978, with a campaign led by the German archaeologist Volker Michael Strocka.

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