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Vienna – Kaiserliche Schatzkammer

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The Kaiserliche Schatzkammer or the Imperial Treasury of Vienna! Where we are hoping to see all the things that we have seen copies of so far! lol For people into medieval embroidery or early medieval gold work, this place really is a treasure trove. I was super excited to be here, before we even entered the building.

Tabard of the Herald of the Princely County of Tyrol -Johann Fritz (embroider)
Vienna, 1838, Silver lamé, velvet, gold, silver and silk embroidery, silver fringing braid.

From the Left: 1) Staff of the Grand Controllers – Southern German, 1600-1610. 2) Staff of the Grand Steward of the County of Gorlzia – Southern German, c.1660. 3) Staff of the Hungarian Grand Equerry – Vienna, 1700-1725. 4) Staff of the Grand Comptroller – Vienna, 1835. 5) Cane of the Grand Equerry – Vienna, 1790-1800. 6) Staff of a Master of Ceremonies – Vienna, 1800-1850. 7) Staff of a Junior Master of the Table – Vienna, 1800-1810. Staff of the Grand Master of the Table – Vienna, 1835. 8) Staff of a Master of Ceremonies – Vienna, 1800-1835. 9) Staff of a Grand Master of Ceremonies – Vienna, 1850-1900…. Wood or cane, bronze, gilded, and silver mounts.

The Hereditary Banner of Austria. Austria, c.1705.
Silk, damask, embroidered with metal and silk threads.

Keys of the Imperial Chamberlain, from 1711 to 1918.
As a sign of their privileged status chamberlains at the Habsburg court wore a key that symbolized their access to the ruler’s chambers. The office of chamberlain was reserved to members of the high nobility. The holders of this office belonged to the “first society” and were part of the emperor’s retinue at official ceremonies. The falconer’s gear as well as the tabards and staffs on view here are similarly the insignia of various officials or families in the hereditary lands and indicate their rank and status.

Dog Collar, Insignia of the Grand Master of the Hunt, Vienna, 1838.
Velvet, leather gold embroidery. Mounts silver mounted.

Austrian Archducal Coronet of Joseph II, c.1764. Silver glided, diamonds, semi-precious stones removed.
As early as the reign of Duke Rudolf IV (1339-65) the Habsburgs pursued the goal of being raised to the dignity of archduke. Their claim was finally recognized in 1453, and the archducal coronet, an insignia resembling a crown became the official symbol of Habsburg rule in the hereditary lands. Such an insignia was created for Archduke Joseph in 1764 based on medieval models.
The coronet’s gold foil frame, or “carcass”, is exhibited in this room. The jewels were soon removed from the coronet to be used for other purposes.

Insignia for the Hereditary Grand Master Falconer, Vienna, 1835. Leather, velvet, gold braid, gold embroidery and feathers. Falconers pouch and two falcon’s hoods.

Tabard for the Herald of the Roman King, Vienna, 1600-1650; gold lamé, satin, gold embroidery, finger border, glass beading.

Tabard for the Herald of the Roman Emperor, Vienna, 1613 and 1719.
Gold lamé, silk and glass.

Tabard for the Herald of Emperor Francis I Stephen, Vienna, 1775-1750.
Velvet, satin, gold and silver lamé, gold silver and silk embroidery, gold and fringe border.

Tabard for the Herald of the King of Bohemia, Vienna, 1600-1700.
Velvet, gold and silver embroidery, fringing braid, glass beading.

Tabard for the Herald of the King of Hungary, Vienna, 1600-1700.
Silver lamé, gold, silver and silk embroidery, fringing braid.

Crown of Emperor Rudolf II, later crown of the Austrian Empire
Jan Vermeyen goldsmith, Prague, 1602.
Gold, enamel, diamonds, rubies, spinels, sapphires, pearls, velvet

Imperial orb for the crown Rudolf II.
Andreas Osenbruck goldsmith, Prague, 1612-1615.
Gold, enamel, diamonds, rubies, sapphire, pearls.

Sceptre for Emperor Matthias for the crown of Rudolf II.
Andreas Osenbruck Goldsmith, Prague, 1615.
Ainkhürn (narwhal tooth), gold, enamel, diamonds, rubies, sapphire, pearls.

Ceremonial robes of a Knight of the Hungarian Order of St Stephen, Vienna, c.1764.
Velvet, fake ermine, gold and silver embroidery, gimped embroidery in gold.

Robes of a Knight of the Austrian Order of Leopold, Joseph Fisher (1769-1822), Vienna, c.1808.
Gros de tours, fake ermine, gold embroidery, metal foil, ostrich feather, silk

Mantle of the Austrian Emperor, designed by Philipp von Stubenraüch (1784-1848), Vienna, c.1830.
Velvet, gimped embroidery in gold, Paulette’s, gold braid, ermine and silk.

Robes of a Knight of the Austrian Order of the Cross, designer Philipp von Stubenraüch (1784-1948), Vienna 1815/16. Velvet, silver embroidery, leather silver embroidery.

Conronation vestments of the Kingdom of Lombardy and Venetia,
Designer Philipp von Stubenraüch (1784-1848), Vienna, 1838.
Velvet, gimped embroidery, gold, ermine, moiré, gold and silver embroidery.

The Robes worn by King of Bohemia as Elector, Vienna or Prague, c. 1625-1650…
Mantle, gloves and matching ermine hat.

Jewellery Box of Empress Marie Louise, Paris, 1870, silver gilded velvet.
Martin Guillaume Biennais (1764-1843) and Augustin Dupré (1748-1833).

Marie Louse, Empress of the French (1791-1847).
Francois Pascal Simon Gerard, Paris, 1812, oil on canvas.

Cradle of the King of Rome, Paris, 1811. Silver gilded, gold, mother of pearl, velvet, silk, tuile, gold and silk embroidery. Designers and craftsmen: Pierre-Paul Prud’hon (1758-1823), Henri-Victor Roget (1758-1830), Jean-Baprise-Claude Odiot (1733-1850), Pierre-Philippe Thomire (1751-1843).

Ewer and Basin used for Imperial Baptisms, Spanish Master, 1571, gold and partly enamelled.

Diamond Sabre, Turkish, 1650-1700, Vienna, c.1712.
Damascened steel, gold, silver, partly gilded, diamonds, wood, leather.

Two Chains of the Order of the Golden Fleece, court jeweller A.E. Kochert, Vienna, c.1873.
Gold, partly enamelled, diamonds, rubies.

Two Bouquets of Flowers, Florence, c.1680-1700. Gold, partly enamelled, silver gilded, precious stones.

LEFT: Hair Amethyst, Spain, c.1665-1700. Amethyst, gold and emeralds.
RIGHT: Fire Opal, Origin Hungarian, c.1650. Opal, gold and enamelled.

Hyacinth, “La Bella”, Vienna, c.1687. Garnet, gold, silver gilded, enamelled.

Egg Cup form the estate of King Louis XVI of France (1754-1793), Paris, c.1774/80. Silver gilded.

Family Tree showing Kings and Emperors from the House of Habsburg. Gold and chalcedonies.
Tree: Vienna, 1725-30. Intaglios: Christoph Dorsch (1675-1732), Nuremberg, 1725/30/

Cameo showing the Portrait fo Emperor Franz I – Giovanni Beltrami (1777-1854).
Made before 1840. Onyx, and enamelled gold.

Set of Jewels from the estate of Archduchess Sophie (1805-1872), Paris, 1809/19.
Gold, silver, diamonds, emeralds, topazes.

Emerald Unguentarium, Dionysius Miseroni, Prague, c.1641. Emerald 2860 carat, enamelled gold.
‘As early as the 17th century the 2,680-carat emerald vessel was regarded as one of the most famous objects in the Imperial Treasury. The tremendous value of this unique showpiece, whose lid was cut out of the jewel’s interior, is illustrated by the story that Genoese jewellers declined to value it as security for a loan which Emperor Ferdinand III (1608-57) sought, avowing that they were not accustomed to dealing with such large pieces.’
Sadly the light in here is so bad, that I had to pluck an image off the internet.

Crown of Stefan Bocskay, Turkish, c.1605. Gold, precious stones, pearls and silk.

Case for the Crown of Stefan Bocskay, Turkish, c.1605. Fabric: Persian, c.1600, wood and silk.

Hungarian Opal Jewellery Set, Egger Bros, Budapest, c.1881.
Gold, enamelled, Hungarian opals, diamonds, rubies.

The “Two Considerable Treasures” – Emperor Ferdinand I (1503-64) bequeathed to his successor, Emperor Maximilian II, two treasures of special importance: an enormous agate bowl (about 50cm across), and the “Ainkhürn” or unicorn horn. It was laid down that these two pieces would forever remain in the possession of the eldest male member of the family in perpetuity as ‘inalienable heirlooms’ and could not be sold or given as gifts.

Agate Bowl, Constantinople, 300-400AD. Carved from a single piece of agate.

“Ainkhürn”or Unicorn Horn.
Ferdinand I received the “Ainkhürn” as a gift from King Sigismund II of Poland in 1540. During this age the mythical unicorn was thought to be an actual animal, which might only be captured in a virgin’s lap. The unicorn was thus regarded as an allegory of Christ, and its horn a symbol of divine power, from which secular dominion was derived. The horn, which was also thought to be an antidote to poison, was traded in Europe at tremendous prices. Only in the 17th century was it recognized that what had been believed to be unicorn’s horn was in fact the twisting tusk of the narwhal (Monodon monoceros).

I WANT ONE!

Amber Altar, Northern Germany, c.1640/45. Amber, partly painted, metal foil, wax, wood.


The Adoration of the Shepherds, Central Italy, Florence?, Early 17thC.
Oil on alabaster, wood, copper, silver.

The Bag of King Stephen of Hungary, Russia, c. 1080-1120.
Gold and silk embroidery on silk, smokey quartz.

Ivory Reliquary Box, Sicily, 12thC. Ivory on wooden core, brass fittings.

Christophorus Relief, Upper Rhine, c.1475-1500, cast copper, gold-plated, glass stones.

Chalice from the Propety of Emperor Maximilian of Mexico.
Circle of the Rondino Di Guerrino, Sienna, c.1375. Silver, gold plated copper, pit enamelled.

Late Gothic Chalice, Hungary, c.1500. Gold plated silver, gemstones.

Chalice with the Motto of Emperor Friedrich II, Southern Germany likely Nuremberg, 1438.
Gold plated silver.

Holy Blood Monstance, Transylvania, c.1475 contains older spoils.
Gold plated silver, rock crystal, precious stones, semi-precious stones, pearls.

Relicquay Oast Tensorium – Matthias Waltbaum (1554-1632), Augsburg, c.1600.
ebony, silver, partially gold plated.

Reliquary Casket, Venice late 1500s. Wood, sardonyx, lapis lazuli.

Emperor Ferdinand’s Prayer Book, Augsburg, 1590. Approx 5cm tall.
Gold, enamelled, parchment.

Devotional Book of Empress Claudia Felitcitas, Constance, Augsburg, c.1674. Silver and paper

Madonna with the Child and the Boy John – Adam Lenckhardt (1610-1661).
Wurzburg, c.1630. Ivory.

The Flagging of Christ, Rome, c.1635-40. Gold-plated bronze, lapis lazuli, ebony.
Christ: Alessandro Algardi (1598-1654).
Henchmen: Francois Duquesnoy (1597-1643)

Three Kings Reliquary, Paulus Baumann (1567-1634), Augsburg, 1630-35. Silver, gold plated, lapis lazuli.

The Carrying of the Cross – Johann Caspar Schenck (1630-1674), Vienna, c.1664-65. Ivory.

Chalice with Coat of Arms of Emperor Charles VI – Ludwig Schneider (1640-1729), Augsburg, c. 1710/15.
Silver gilded, enamel painting, glass

Christ as Judge of the World
Johann Baptist Känischbauer von Hohenried (1668-1739), Vienna, 1726.
Gold, partially enamelled, rock crystal.

Gloves, Palmero, before 1220.
Samite (silk), gold embroidery, enamel, niello plaques, pearls, precious stones.

Shoes, Sandalia – German, 1600-1625, Palermo, 1100-1300.
Silk, pearls, precious stones, tablet weave, lampas braid.

Blue Tunicella (Dalmatia), Palermo, Royal Court Workshop, 1125-1150.
Silk, gold embroidery, small gold tubes, gold with cloisonné enamel, pearls, tablet weave.

The semi-circular Coronation Mantle of red silk was produced in Palermo in the 12th and early 13th centuries; with its depiction of a lion subduing a camel, the long, richly embroidered outer garments-blue tunicella and white alba-as well as shoes, stockings and gloves together with the belt reflect, (in part based on their inscriptions in part on other evidence), a connection with the Norman kings of Sicily. The overall design and elements of the decoration are derived from the court attire of Byzantine emperors. The older textiles probably came to the Empire through the Hohenstaufen emperor Henry VI. He married the Norman princess Constance in 1186 and became king of Sicily in 1194. In the empire they were apparently thought to be priestly vestments, used for coronations and complemented by additional textiles.

Coronation Mantle, Palermo, Royal Court Workshop, 1133/34.
Samite silk, gold and silk embroidery, pearls, enamel, filigree, precious stones, tablet weave.

OMG… finally a chance to see this! I’ve been looking at pictures of these objects in books for nearly three decades. I can’t believe I get to see them in person.

The Eagle Dalmatic, South German, c.1330/40.
Red silk twill damask, embroidery in silk, gold, small axinites.

The Stola (below) imitates a ‘loros’ an older type of textile of Byzantine or Norman origin. The six metre-long sash of yellow silk was decorated with black imperial eagles in medallions, only one of which has been preserved. Differently than the original manner of wearing the “loros”, in the medieval Holy Roman Empire the long sash was worn as a priest’s stola, that is forming a cross across the breast. This can be seen in Albrecht Dürer’s famous portrayal of Charlemagne (Room 11). The purple Dalmatic is embroidered with eagles and crowned heads. In this way the wearer of the garment is associated both with the heraldic beast of the Holy Roman Empire and his predecessors as king.

Alba, Palermo, Royal Court Workshop, c.1181 with later additions.
Taffeta silk, Samite silk, fold wire embroidery, pearls, precious stones and tablet weave.

Stole, Italy, before 1328. Louise silk, gold threads, pearls, silver gilded appliqués with graduation, champlevé enamel and glass stones.

Imperial Cross, Western German, c.1030. Body: oak, precious stones, pearls, niello.
Base: Prague, later additions c.1352, silver gilded enamel.

The Burse of St. Stephen, Carolingian, 800-833. Wooden body, gold, precious, stones, pearls.

Imperial Crown, Western German, c.960-980. Cross: 1020. Arch: 1024-1039.
Gold, cloisonné enamel, precious stones, pearls.

Idealised portrait of Emporer Charlemagne (742-812).
Copy after Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528), German c.1600. Oil on canvas.

Idealised portrai of Emperor Sigmund (1361-1437).
Copy after Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528), German, c.1600. Oil on canvas.

Vestments worn by Emperor Francis Stephen I of Lorraine (Baroque copies of the Coronation Vestments of the Holy Roman Empire). Vienna 1763/64.

Stole, Vienna 1763/64. Gold lamé, silk embroidery, gold, partly enamelled.

Gloves, Vienna 1763/64. Atlas silk, gold embroidery, gold enamel, precious stones.

Dalmatic, Vienna 1763/64. Altas silk, gold, partly enamelled.

Mantle, Vienna 1763/64. Atlas silk, gold and silk embroidery, gold braid, enamel, precious stones.

Alba, Vienna 1763/64. Atlas silk, gol, silver and silk embroidery, precious stones.

Room full of extant herald’s tabards! Mostly 1700s, but just gorgeous.

Herald for the King-At-Arms and Herald of the Archduchy of Brabant, Brussels, c.1717.
Embroiderer: Louis Almé. Velvet, gold lamé, appliqué, gold embroidery and fringing braid.

Herald’s Tabard for the King-At-Arms and Herald of the Duchy of Burgundy, Brussels, c.1600-1700.
Velvet, silver lamê, fringing braid.

Tabard for a Herald of Maria Theresia (First King at Arms), Brussels, c.1742.
Embroiderer: Eldens. Velvet, gold and silver lamé, appliqué, gold, silver and silk embroidery, gold braid.

Tabard for the First King-At-Arms of Archduke Albrecht, Sovereign of the Netherlands.
Brussels, c.1599-1621. Velvet, gold and silver lamé, appliqué, gold silver and silk embroidery, fringing braid.

Emperor Maximilian I (1459-1519) – Bernhard Strigel (1460-1519), German, c.1500. Oil on Limewood.


Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy hoped to succeed Emperor Frederick Ill on the throne of the Holy Roman Empire. To achieve his aim, he assented to the marriage of his only daughter Mary to Archduke Maximilian, the emperor’s son and heir. The wedding, however, only took place after the duke’s death in 1477. Mary and Maximilian’s son Philip was born on 19 April 1478, ensuring the “Burgundian heritage” would ultimately remain with the House of Habsburg.

Mary, Duchess of Burgundy (1457-1482) – Francesco Terzio, Southern Germany, c. 1600 terracotta.

Tapestry Showing the arms of Emperor Charles V – weaver: Willem de Pannemaker, Brussels, c.1540.
Wool, silk, gold and silver thread.

Tabard for the Stattholder First King-at-Arms, called Towson d’Or (Golden Fleece), Brussels c.1580.
Velvet, gold and silver lamé, gold, silver and silk embroidery.

Order of the Golden Fleece Knight’s Chain, Burgundian-Netherlands, c.1435-1465. Gold and enamel.

Potence Chain of Arms of the Herald of the Order of the Golden Fleece, Netherlandish, c.1517.
Gold and enamel.

This is one of the most beautiful heraldic objects I’ve never seen. I’ve admired it for years… never thought I’d be able o see it.

I am completely unapologetic for the amount photographs that I took and have added here!

Just when you think the Schatzkammer has delivered up all it’s treasures – the next room contains only some of *the* most famous embroidered objects ever created. I like did a double take when walking in… it was like the first time I saw the Cluny Tapestries all over again. They are so amazing and so beautifully preserved! Just fucking spectacular!

Liturgical Vestments of the Order of the Golden Fleece.
Cope of the Virgin, Burgundian, c.1425-1440.
Embroidery on linen, metal and silk threads, pearls, pastes (glass), velvet.
Hood depicting the virgin.

Liturgical Vestments of the Order of the Golden Fleece.
Dalmatic, Burgundian, c.1425-1440.
Embroidery on linen, metal and silk threads, pearls and velvet.

Liturgical Vestments of the Order of the Golden Fleece.
Cope of Christ (Pluvial), Burgundian, c.1425-1440.
Embroidery on linen, metal and silk threads, pearls, pastes (glass), velvet.
Hood depicting the Almighty.

Liturgical Vestments of the Order of the Golden Fleece.
Casula, Burgundian, c.1425-1440.
Embroidery on linen, metal and silk threads, pearls, pastes (glass), velvet.

Liturgical Vestments of the Order of the Golden Fleece.
Cope of John the Baptist, Burgundian, c.1425-1440.
Embroidery on linen, metal and silk threads, pearls, pastes (glass), velvet.
Hood depicting John the Baptist.

Liturgical Vestments of the Order of the Golden Fleece.
ABOVE: Antependium (rear panel), Burgundian, c.1425-1440; the Trinity, prophets and apostles.
BELOW: Antependium (front panel), Burgundian, c.1425-1440; Mythical marriage of St Catherine
Embroidery on linen, metal and silk threads, pearls, pastes (glass).

Phew! Man, I haven’t been a smoker since May 17th 1997… but damn, after that I need a cigarette and a good lie down. Back out in the Real World, I had to make do with some bratwurst and a Coke Zero!
What an amazing visit! I think this has now officially out paced the Museé de Moyen Age as my favourite museum.

Vienna – Schönbrunn Palace

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Our itinerary for Vienna (outside of Eurocup stuff) was to check out as many museums as possible; but it felt very much like you can’t take a trip to Vienna without going to the Schönbrunn.

Commissioned by Leopold I in 1696, it was designed and built to the preferred baroque architectural style at that time, it is heavy and ornate with large sweeping staircases and colonnades. It was intended as a summer palace and hunting lodge not far from the River Wein, and had several halting stages of construction (due to the lack of funds resultant from war with Spain among other Hapsburg trials). Emperor Charles VI gave it to his daughter Maria Theresia who was apparently particularly fond of the place, and it was she who left the largest mark on the estate.

I remember the palace really well from visiting here in 1995 and mostly remember that it was huge, ornate and we had a very cool guide showing us around. It was also a rather quiet place without too many tourists and not a lot of ropes or glass stopping you from interacting with the space (unlike my memories of Versailles that same trip). Everything was about the Empress Maria Theresia, her investment and design decisions regarding the estate and her prolific offspring that were wed to the various royal houses on the continent leading to her being named, the ‘Grandmother of Europe’. Her name was uttered with a thick Austrian accent numerous times in every single room!

Jesus has this place changed… thanks to the Netflix TV services, “Empress”, the entire palace now is all about Elizabeth – also known as, ‘Sisi’, who was married to the Emperor Franz Josef some one hundred years after Maria Theresia. Seriously, you could could be forgiven for leaving here thinking that Sisi built the place and was the only royal to have lived here! The free roaming tour with polite ‘please don’t touch the velvet wallpaper’ signs are gone, and in it’s place is a rigid, timed and structured audio tour keeping you in glass walkways well away from the artefacts. The palace was packed with visitors… though given it was late afternoon, I imagine it is even worse in the mornings.

Oh, and nice overpriced touristy carriage rides on offer around the grounds.

Still it is a lovely building and there is a lot to see here; having recently seen the over the top Nymphemberg Palace, among others, it does all start to feel a bit same-same, though.

The Billiard Room – ‘Franz Jospeh saw himself first and foremost as an officer of his army. Appropriately, the subject of the large format paintings in this room is the Military Order of Maria Theresa, the highest military order of merit of of the Habsburg Monarchy.’ Which was pointed out on the audio-tour… but possibly ignored as everyone is here to hear about Sisi!

Audience Chamber – Here the various emperors received individuals who had been granted a private audience with the monarch. Members of the government, high ranking military officers and court officials were also summoned here several times a week to deliver their reports.

Emperor Franz Joseph’s (aka Sisi’s husband) Study – A host of personal pictures and photographs bear witness to the style of interior favoured by the emperor in his private quarters. Over the course of his long life he amassed in this room a wealth of mementos of his wife Elisabeth (Sisi), their four children and thirteen grandchildren.’

Ketterl Room – the concealed door in the back wall of the study leads into the valet de chambre’s rooms. I’m not sure what a Ketterl is…

Franz Joseph’s Bedroom – the emperor’s bedroom was also where he died on November 21, 1916. The brown is a bit… meh.

Stairs Cabinet – the Stairs Cabinet served Empress Elisabeth as a writing room. Here she wrote her letters, journals and her poetry. The bookcase still contains part of her personal library apparently.

Dressing Room – immediately adjacent to the bedroom, the dressing room was the innermost and most private room in the empress’s apartments. Sisi was known to have a strict diet and beauty regimen to maintain her girlish figure and look after her ankle length hair.

Imperial Couple’s Bedroom – the bedroom in the Italian style that was shared by Franz Joseph and Sisi was furnished and decorated as we see it now, for their marriage in 1854.

Salon of Empress Elisabeth – this was Sisi’s primary reception room. “The Rococo Revival interior is a typical example of the furnishing and decoration of a state room at the Viennese court during the reign of Emperor Franz Joseph.”… and is way too chintzy for me.

Marie Antoinette Room – during the time when Elisabeth occupied these apartments, the Marie Antoinette Room was used as the family dining room for small dinners in the immediate family circle and attended by the imperial couple and their children, and later on their daughter and sons-in-law and grandchildren. So, like a casual breakfast nook really.

Yellow Salon – the Yellow Salon is the first room in the apartments facing the palace gardens. From the windows of these rooms one has a stunning view of the main parterre with the Gloriette as the lofty termination of the vista. <- I did not write that.

Balcony Room – continuing numerous pictures of Maria Theresa and her numerous children. The portraits are from the the studio of court painter Martin van Meytens. This was quite a nice room actually.

Breakfast Cabinet – this little corner room owes its ‘pleasing character’ (according to the audio) to the textile flower pictures set into the wall panelling in gilt frames. It’s lovely, but so delicate and feminine. I think trying to relax in these spaces would just put me on edge.

Salon of the Arch Duchess Portraits – this room is done in a Rococo Revival decor and once belonged to the apartments occupied by Empress Elizabeth. Today it contains the famous portraits of Maria Theresa’s daughters, and is therefore also sometimes known as the Children’s Room.

Large Rosa Room – the three Rosa Rooms are named after the artist Joseph Rosa, who executed fifteen landscaping paintings for the ensemble at the behest of Maria Theresa in the 1760s. See, Maria Theresa did all the work, and somehow Sisi is now the belle of the ball!

Second Small Rosa Room – consisting of one large room and two adjoining smaller room, the Rosa Rooms form an ensemble with a cohesive decor plan.

Great Gallery – Okay, this is pretty great still. It is 43 metres long, and just shy of 10 metres wide, the Great Gallery was the used as an ideal setting for courtly events. The interior is dripping with magnificent gilt stucco decorations and ceiling frescos represents the epitome of Rococo art – which is fabulous, if you like that sort of thing.

Okay, I love the chandeliers! Want one at home, though it may be hard to manoeuvre around given the high ceiling in my house is only about 14’. 🙂

Round Chinese Cabinet – half concealed to either side of the Small Gallery lie two highlights among the historic state rooms of the palace; two cabinets lying opposite each other in mirror-image, both decorated with a rich array of works of art from China and Japan… though it ends up being subtlely chinoiserie, as it’s all surrounded in those heavy Rococo frames.

Small Gallery – crossing the central axis of the palace, the Small Gallery, together with the two smaller rooms on either side, made for small salons used for intimate courtly entertainment. I still can’t imagine living in a place like this, how do you decide which room is appropriate for a game of Code Names?

Oval Chinese Cabinet:

Hall of Ceremonies – at the court of Maria Theresa the Hall of Ceremonies served as the Second or Great Antechamber. Here, enthroned under a canopy of state, she received her guests in audience. Today this place is occupied by probably the most famous portrait of Maria Theresa, showing her as the ‘First Lady of Europe’ in a sumptuous gown of Brabant lace. Sumptuous – good word.

Vieux Laque Room – in terms of its art-historical significance, the Vieux Laque Room is apparently among the most important interiors of the Schönbrunn. The black lacquer panels from China lend the room an impression of decadence and magnificence.

Needs more gilt…

Napoleon Room – known today as the Napoleon Room, the room was refurbished several times during the 19thC. When it was restored in 2007 the decision was taken to highlight various phases of its past decoration and make this visible to visitors. I don’t know why it’s called the Napoleon Room, they didn’t say?!

Porcelain Room – this small room served as Maria Theresa’s private writing room. It has a particularly private character and was decorated to her personal tastes apparently. The decor not only displays the empress’s love of the chinoiserie fashion of the times but was partly made by members of her family – it interestingly the most monochromatic area in the entire place, but still full of baroque clutter. .

Millions Rooms – the interior of the Millions Room (named for the Indo-Persian works attached to the walls) is particularly extravagant. In the ceremonial sequence of rooms prescribed for the Viennese court, Maria Theresa used this room, originally known as the Mirrors Room, to receive guests for private audiences. Okay, so the house is definitely all still about Maria Theresa – so why is the advertising, posters, website and gift shop all about Sisi?

Gobelin Salon – both the walls and the armchairs in this room are covered in valuable tapestries; the backs of the seats of the six chairs each show representations together with the signs of the Zodiac… it’s pretty flash.

Red Salon – known today as the Red Salon, this room is decorated in the style typical of the later years of Emperor Franz Jospeh’s reign. The room is characterised by the wall hangings and upholstery in ‘court damask’, a red silk damask with a design based on a pineapple like central motif.

Rich Room.
The Rich Room does its name full justice, on display here is Maria Theresa’s state bed with its lavishly embroidered covers and hanging. Love it!

Salon of Archduke Franz Karl – a glass door allows a view into the corner salon, which is decorated with life-size portraits of Maria Theresa’s children.

I didn’t take a lot of photos of the corridors and staircases (I say staircases for there are several!), but there are plenty of statuary placed around the common areas of the palace, much of which doesn’t have any plaques informing visitors of the artist or the content. Though this one is most likely Hercules defeating the Lion.

All up a cool, slightly confusing visit to the Shönbrunn… I wish I had taken some pictures of the gift shop and the posters around the palace that were all, ‘Sisi this, Sisi that!’ Poor Maria Theresa, how was she to know she would need a better post humours PR machine 300 years after her death. Netflix, you have a lot to answer for!

München – Marienplatz and the Pinakothek

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München! Oktoberfest, beer, pretzels, and mad kings!

We started off in the Marienplatz just in time to see the massive crowds turning up to watch/listen to the glockenspiel… and it was hot! Even though I know the cafes in the square have sandy lube prices so you can get into some shade to wait for the Thing, I felt today it would be worth it to escape the heat a bit.

Neues Rathaus.

The Nues Rathaus on Marienplatz is where the München mayor, city council and city administration are all headquartered. It was built in several phases starting in 1867 in a neo-Gothic style.

The Rathaus-Glockenspiel is a large mechanical clock located in the Marienplatz Square. It’s known for its life-sized characters which re-enact scenes from Munich’s history twice a day (three times in summer, 11am, 12pm and 5pm). It show little stories of the Marriage of Duke Wilhelm V to Renata of Lorraine in 1568 and the cooper’s dance, aka the Schäfflerstanz which is about the plague of 1517… cheerful, huh? The story goes that the coopers were said to have gone out and danced through the streets encouraging people to leave their homes after being frightened by the plague – sounds familiar… the pandemic is over, come back to the CBD people! The coopers were loyal to the duke and their dancing symbolises loyalty and perseverance. Traditionally the dance is done in Munich every seven years, and was last performed during the Fasching in 2019.

The Glockenspiel has 43 bells, and 32 life-sized figures, and was added tot he Neues Rathaus in 1908, so it’s not as old as it looks. I took a video, but will have to upload it later of find someone else’s video.

We had about 15 minutes to wait for the glock-glock-glock to go off, so sat down for some over priced Coke Zeros and shared some currywurst.

Munich’s Old Town Hall, which now houses a Spielzeug Museum… Toy Museum!

Wiesn-hertz cookies! They’re an Oktoberfest favourite – gingerbread cookies covered in bright coloured icing that often say things like ‘Ich Liebe Dich’.

Did a bit of shopping – might not have been my smartest move to decide to go shopping for a windproof, waterproof snowy weather type jacket while I’m here, but Europe does do it’s cold weather gear so well and I have bought good outer layers in Germany before. I forgot that shopping centre ‘air-conditioning’ here is more of a theory than a practice. :/ It was so hot in the worm! But I did find a good jacket for my next cold weather adventure and because it’s mid-summer, steep discounts, so score!

Right downstairs was a Lego store – with a unique München flavour. Lego pretzels, barmaids, and junge in leiderhosen.

More weisenhertz cookies.

The München Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Lady) is late period Gothic church in München’s Altstadt. It is one of the main landmark of Munich and Bavaria. Construction started on the Frauenkirche in the 1460s and it was consecrated in 1494. It is one of the two largest hall churches in the world and one of the largest brick churches north of the Alps. It’s huge – but you know, we’ve just been to Cologne, so we’ve seen bigger. 😉

The Devil’s Footprint.

Legend has it that the Devil wanted to destroy this church. He was sickened to see another church being built in Munchen, and so he decided to destroy it, so he sneaked into the entrance hall (apparently only able to do so because the church wasn’t consecrated yet), and he looked around, laughed out loud and stamped the ground hard. He is said to have left this footprint in the pavement and he left the church. The church was finished and consecrated anyway, and when the devil saw people coming to the new church he went into a rage and tried to bring the building down with a violent storm. But it didn’t work, and they say the Devil and his demons still ‘storm’ around the church today. Occam’s Razor would suggest that some lazy person stepped on this tile before it was properly finished and for whatever reason, they decided to use it rather than discard it… but you know, the devil’s footprint story is far more likely.

From the entrance of the church, the pillars hide the windows of the church hall, you can’t seem them at all until you enter further into the church.

Tomb for Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian, who died in 1347. Designed by Hans Krumpper in 1662. It’s actually a cenotaph or false grave… Old Lugwig’s bones are not in this tomb, they’re in the crypt under the cathedral.

The light in here was really bad and I couldn’t get a good pic – but had to try and record it. This is a medieval altarpiece that has obviously lost its side panel art… and it’s been replaced with (shock, horror!) modern art. Yikes!

The Munich Madonna of Mercy is modelled after the Altötting Madonna and was donated to the Cathedral by the citizens of Munich in 1659. Carved wood and ivory, garments were embroidered in the 18thC.

Couldn’t find any information on this amazing donor painting – will have to have a hunt for details later. But what an amazingly pious, and very large, family the donor had!

Middle section of the Memmingen, c.1860.

In mid 1995, four very weary Slappers arrived in München after a hectic six weeks or so on the road already… we had every intention of doing the Cathedrals and the Museums and seeing all the things! However when confronted with another hot day walking around another city, we instead made it to the Marienplatz, saw the Glockglockglock, and decided to get out of the heat and away from the people and (of all things) we decided to go hide in a dark, quiet air-conditioned space and went to a fucking cinema to see a movie and maybe see the Pinakothek after! Yes… extended travel will do that do you. Eventually you pike; though now we call it, ‘having a Sea Day’. The movie we chose? Forrest Gump.

We bought our tickets, confirmed like, three times, that it was in English and not dubbed. Picked up some popcorn and some drinks and head into the cool dark cinema. We watched the 20 mins of ads (all in German) and looked forward to a couple of hours of cool, dark, escapism. Now, I don’t know if anyone remembers the introduction to Forrest Gump, but it has a long panning scene following a floating feather that falls at Forrest’s feet…

And when Forrest leaned down and picked up that feather, and in something that was definitely NOT Tom Hanks’ voice, he said:

”Hallo. Mein Name ist Forrest. Forrest Gump. Willst du eine Praline? Davon könnte ich ungefähr Millionen essen. Meine Mama hat immer gesagt, das Leben sei wie eine Schachtel Pralinen.”

Well… FUCK. We burst out laughing and went out to see if we could get our money back, being just povo-backpackers in those days. I’ve never forgotten it – we tried! We never made it to the Altes Pinakothek in München that day. Until today, nearly 30 years later… thought I’d go find out whether we missed much

Muchner Biergarten – Max Liebermann, 1884.

The Cathedral – Odilon Redan, 1914.

Margaret Stanborough-Wittgenstein, Gustav Klimt, 1905.

Four Breton Women – Paul Gauguin, 1886.

Water Lilies – Claude Monet, c1915.

Nativity – Te tamari no atua – Paul Gauguin, 1896.

View of Arles – Vincent van Gogh, 1889.

Sunflowers – Vincent Van Gogh, c.1888.

First room… strong start from the Pinakothek! 🙂

Large Fish Market – Jan Brueghel, c.1603.

Mary with Child and St Margaret and Dorothea – Bartholomäus Bruny the Elder, c.1515-20.

The Annunciation – Fra Carnevale, c.1445.

LEFT: St Nicholas with a Benefactor – Agnolotti Gaddi, c.1393/96
RIGHT: St Julian – Agnolotti Gaddi, c.1393/96.

Paumgartner Altarpiece – Albrecht Dürer, c.1498/1504… another original as copied at the AD musuem.

Madonna of the Carnation – Leonardo da Vinci, c.1475.

The Lamentation – Sandro Botticelli, c.1490/95.

St Sebastian’s Altarpiece – Hans Holbein, 1516.

Altarpiece of the Church Fathers: St Jerome, St Gregory, St Augustine, St Ambrose.
Michael Pacher, 1480.

Diptych: Madonna and the Rose Bower and St Georgie with Donor – Hans Memling, c.1490.

The Annunciation of Mary – Unknown artist, c.1380,

Enthroned Mary with child, the auxiliary virgins, Catherine, Agnes, Apollonia, Barbara and Angels playing music that look like swallows or even bats at at distance. Unknown artist, Cologne, c.1440.

St Luke Drawing the Virgin Mary – Roger van der Weyden, c.1484.

Adoration of the Kings, also known as the St Columba Altarpiece – Roger van der Weyden, 1455.
FUCKING STUNNING! These pics do not do it any justice whatsoever once they have been shrunk for the inter-webs.

LEFT: Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria – Hans Wertinger, 1526.
RIGHT: Duchess Maria Jacobea of Baden – Hans Wertinger, 1526.
Marraige alliance portraits, with details of her frock because it’s fabulous! Beadwork lettering across her bodice reads: ‘A BON FINE’ (to a good end!).

Portrait of Oswolkt Krel – Albrecht Dürer, 1499… yes! The real Oswolkt, not the copy at the AD Musuem.

Self-Portrait with Fur Trimmed Robe – Albrecht Dürer, c.1500.

The Battle of Alexander at Issus – Albrecht Aldorfer, c.1529.

This is a gorgeous art gallery stuffed full of so many important and beautiful paintings!

The Crowing of the Virtuous Hero – Peter Paul Rubens, c.1613/14,

The Rape of the Daughters of Leucippus – Peter Paul Rubens, c.1618.
“The abduction of the king’s daughters came to a deadly end when Castor und Pollux were killed during the pursuit. Although twins, they were the offspring of two different fathers. Castor was the son of Tyndareus, the King of Sparta, and therefore mortal; this was not the case with Pollux, the son of Jupiter. When Pollux asked not to be separated from his brother, both were transformed into celestial bodies. Through the complex composition that suggests a number of different views and the sensual rendering of textures Rubens demonstrates the superiority of painting over sculpture.”

This image feels a bit problematic to me… while those women look like they are being ‘ravished’ they don’t look like they’re fighting too hard, and the wee little cherub looking on innocently seems unconcerned and nonchalant. If it weren’t for the title and the blurb, you could mistake it for an unenthusiastic and ill-located orgy.

Madame de Pompadour – François Boucher, 1756
Official mistress of Louis XV of France, she is presented here in an elaborate tea dress surrounded by books and correspondence alluding to her political influence at court.

The Land of Cockaigne – Pieter Bruegel, 1567.
Fabulous theme of the sins of idleness and gluttony/lethargy and surrendering to vice and how it pervades all social classes – the soldier, the peasant, and the learned man.

Twins of 33 Weeks – Aelbert Cuyp, c. 1625/49… is there something wrong with these kids? 🙂

Head of an Old Peasant Woman – Pieter Bruegel, c.1563.

Italia and Germnania – Friedrich Overbeck, c. 1828

I thought I would finish up on this image… because I can totally feel this woman!
Vittoria Caldoni – Friedrich Overbeck, c. 1821.

Well, what an amazing museum! Chock full of gorgeous pieces and some truly iconic pieces of Northern Renaissance art. I have always regretted not seeing it years ago, but to be honest, I think I probably got much more out of it seeing it now with a couple of more decades of art history knowledge under my belt.

Munich – Nymphenburg Palace

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Muchen… thirty years on… the drive into the city was uneventful, and most of what we were concentrating on was the traffic! We had arrived well before we could check into our accomodations and the EuroCup stuff we needed to see would be this evening and tomorrow, so decided to go do a bit of touristing before braving the inner city and the football hooligans. I didn’t manage to get to Nymphenburg when I was here last; we were a bit touristed out by the time we got here in ‘95 and in desperate need for a Sea Day – only I didn’t know what those were yet!

Nymphenburg Palace was established as a summer palace residence for the birth of the long anticipated heir to the Bavarian throne, Max Emanuel. He was born in 1662 to the Bavarian Elector Ferdinand Maria and his wife, Henrietta Adelaide of Savoy after nearly ten years of marriage. This site on the edge of exisiting court lands to the west of München and the Residenz was chosen for the new palace because at that time it was some way out of the city and was surrounded by cool open countryside. Construction began in 1664 under the direction of an Italian architect Agostino Barettli, who also is responsible for the design of Munich’s Theatine Church.

Initially the Nymphenburg summer residence was to be an enormous cubic pavilion, flanked with a court church, several outbuildings and a small, walled formal garden. By 1679, the initial stages of the palace complex was nearly completed. The present day Palace with it’s simply massive scale was completed under the elector Max Emanuel (his reign was 1680-1726), and supervised by the court architect Henrico Zuccalli who added two off-set pavilions on each side of the original structure to the north and south. By 1701, the two pavilions were linked with the central edifice by galleries – because well, you can never have too much space for when unexpected relatives drop round. This is seriously the largest palace I think I have ever visited (that or my memory is playing tricks on me).

The Great Hall… Nymphenburg was presented to Henrietta with the land to mark the birth of her son and Heir in 1662; the Italian born princess called her Baroque country seat, “Borgo Delle Ninfe”, Castle of the Nymphs. It because a very popular summer residence with the Bavarian rulers and numerous members of the Wittelsbach dynasty contributed to it with Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical additions.

The light filled Great Hall is in the centre of the Palace and was redecorated under Elector Max III Joseph in the Rococo style in the mid 18thC by Bavarian artist Johann Baptist Zimmerman. The colourful ceiling depicts nymphs and flower goddess Flora in an Arcadian landscape bringing nature into the palace, under and Olympian heaven with its Gods.

Entry to the hall was via external flights of steps on the city and the garden side of the hall, making a grand staircase unnecessary. Musicians would entertain guests from the gallery in the image below.

The North Antechamber- originally the Elector’s chamber.

Another antechamber?

The Elector’s Bedchamber.

Private Cabinet.

The start of Max Emanuel’s Great Gallery of Beauties.

The North Karl-Theordor Rooms.

King Ludwig I’s Gallery of Beauties.
From 1827 to 1850 by order of King Ludwig I of Bavaria, court painter Joseph Stieler created the impressive series of portraits of 36 beautiful women from a variety of social classes, ranging from the daughter of a shoemaker to the daughter of a king. What he produced was a ‘compendium of feminine beauty’ in accordance with the King’s personal preferences of course… at that time beauty was considered to be an outward sign of moral perfection; though I find myself asking what these women and their mamas were willing to do to get their daughters into the King’s Collection. 😐
King Ludwig was known to have been fascinated by female beauty from a young age, which more or less nowadays just reads like he was maybe a lecherous fucker. These paintings were hung near the Queen’s chambers – I wonder how she felt about being confronted daily by her husband’s ’beauty ideals’ in this way.

Angus: ‘She looks like Princess Leia.’

The Queen’s Study… current decorations from the late 18thC when Queen Caroline occupied these apartments. She was the second wife to King Max I Joseph.

Lady in Waiting Room

Queen’s Audience Chamber.

Waiting room outside the Queen’s Audience Chamber.

The Queen’s Bedroom – and birthplace of King Ludwig II… this room contains Queen Caroline’s original furnishings including the original mahogany furniture which was made in Munich in 1815.

Cooling Vessel front the Pearl Service. Nymphenburg Porcelain Manufactory, c.1792-95.

Max Emanuel when he had the palace enlarged, had the gardens reshaped and a canal created to divert water from the Würm River tot he park. However, he ended up leaving Bavaria (the unfortunate consequence of his defeat in the Spanish War of Succession in 1703) and all his grande works were interrupted.


Max Emanuel had the palace enlarged, the gardens reshaped and a canal dug out to divert water from the Würm to the park. Max Emanuel however had to leave Bavaria, in consequence of his defeat in the Spanish War of Succession in 1704. As a result, all work was initially interrupted. It would not be until 1715 that the works recommenced.

Gala Sedan Chari of Electress Maria Antonia, c. 1685.

Seda Chair with lacquer decoration belonging to the Wittelsbachers, in their heraldic blue and silver. Made for Electress Maria Anna Sophie of Saxony in 1747.

Children’s Garden Calash (bit like a go-kart?). It was for use of the little princes and princesses in the gardens and residences. To protect the floors it had wheels of felt, and was drawn by pony, large dogs, sheep or even goats! On the front assembly is a Pelican feeding its young – a symbol of selfless parental love. Awwww.

Gala Harness for the Coronation of Emperor Karl VII on 12 February, 1742… of which, the ever so modest Karl wrote in his diary: “All are agreed that no coronation was ever more glittering or more marvellous than mine!”

Sumptuary laws at the time stated that only an Emperor or King could have a carriage pulled by 8 horses.

The ‘New Munich Coach’ or the first Coronation Coach of King Max I Joseph, 4th February 1819.

Second Coronation Coach of King Max I Joseph… Bavaria became a Kingdom through their alliance with the French Emperor Napoleon, however soon after Napoleon was exiled, Bavaria switched allegiances and King Max I Joseph require a second coronation in 1818.

Opulent, gilded sleighs with figural decorations can be dated back to the 16thC at the Munich Court. In the inventory of hte Court stables from the year 1600, they are listed separately as ordinary sleighs for overland travel. These were used as normal conveyances and had a somewhat romantic connotation (like a Venetian gondola due to the proximity of the riders), but also used as competitive amusements as sleighs were driven by their ‘cavaliers’ along a marked course while his lady would attempt to hit rings or paper mache targets with a lance or sword.

Carousel Sleigh, with Hercules and the Seven-Headed Hydra. Made for Elector Max Emanuel, c.1680.

Carousel Sleigh with Cupid, c. 1725.

Carousel Sleigh with Diana, Goddess of Hunting. Commissioned by Elector Karl Albrecht in 1740.

Child’s Slight with Jupiter. King Max I Joseph sold off seven ornate sleighs in 1818 but this one was kept to display. It was intended for indoor use and was for the amusement of the princes and princesses inside the palace.

Carousel Sleigh with Jupiter, c.1725.

Ornate Horse Blanket with gilded sleigh bells. Commissioned for Elector Karl Albrect, later Emperor Karl VII, the horse blanket contains 426 gilded bells which announced the approach of a horse drawn sleigh. C.1737/38. This museum actually has a recording running constantly of what these bells sound like on a horse when it’s moving… cute. At first.

Model of King Ludwig II’s putto Sleigh. Gold and silversmith Ferdinand Harrach, Munich, c. 1872.

LEFT: First Nymph Sleigh made for King Ludwig II, Dresden, c.late 18thC.
RIGHT: Second Nymph Sleigh made for King Ludwig II, Munich, 1881.

Putti Sleigh made for King Ludwig II, Munich 1872.. then the tag enigmatically says: ‘Electrified in 1875’.
With no further details! Ripped off!.

New Dress Coach for King Ludwig II, Designed by Franz von Seitz, Munich 1870/71.

SO. MUCH. GILDING!

Small Dress Coach made for Ludwig II, Designed by Franz von Seitz, Munich 1878.

There were other horsey things in the Marshall Collection at the Palace, but I have to say I’m not so much a horsey person, so didn’t pay too much attention.

Mane Clothes and Rosettes, 18thC.

Five Tassels for the Corpus Christi harnesses, c.1880.

Then we discovered there was another whole building (ex-stable) filled with even more carriages, though these were a bit more for workdays rather than ceremonial poncing about.

Hearse used for Queen Marie Theres and Crown Prince Rupprecht, c.1888.

Dress Coach of gather Pfalzgraf Max von Zweibrücken, c.1784/85.

The Karlsruhe Town Coach, later Dress Carriage of King Max I Joseph, c. 1816.

Full on visit. Walked about 3kms around the Palace… and it was like Brisbane-summer-hot, here today! What’s that about Germany?

So much over the top, golden, ostentatiousness… it’s like Trump’s decorator was here and vomited gilt all over the place!

Nuremberg

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Short drive today to Nuremberg. Uneventful for the most part, though we were mightily amused by this road sign telling drivers to slow down to 120 kmph for roadworks… for serious, it was needed though. We were in a 130 zone on the autobahn and doing roughly the speed limit with people whizzing past us like we were standing still. I don’t know how there aren’t more accidents here… but I bet when they do connect it’s horrific.

Given Europe’s typical Mondayitis, there were quite a few places that were not open today, but thankfully the well famous Nuremberg Castle wasn’t closed. Also known as the Nürnberger Burg, the castle is actually a large complex of medieval fortified buildings built on a ridge that overlooks the historical Altstadt of Nuremberg. Well located in Bavaria, the castle and its formidable city walls are considered one of Europe’s most impregnable fortified castles. The whole place was designed to represent the power and influence on the Holy Roman Empire and the distinctive role the Imperial City of Nuremberg held.

The main entrance (above) isn’t that much to look at, but as soon as you make your way into the castle walls, the extent and size of the fortress becomes apparent.

The construction of the castle was originally started around 1000, and after that there were three main periods of expansion that can be seen. 1) the main castle built under the Salian kings and respective Holy Roman Emperors front he period of about 1027-1125, 2) a newer castle section that was built under the Hohenstaufen Emperors from 1138-1254 and the reconstructed areas of the castle that became more palace in the later medieval period.

In the Middle Ages, the city of Nuremberg was one of the larges and organised municipalities in all of Europe, and was at various periods the Imperial Capital.

I could not get over the sky today – the clouds just looked absolutely surreal, and the sky so blue, I thought we were in the tropics.

The stunning panorama from the ramparts of the castle looking over the medieval city of Nuremberg.

Inner courtyard of the main keep… the buildings are so beautiful and we were fortunately not swamped with people when we arrived that I went a little nuts with the photos…

The building on the left here has been converted into a super modern cafe, but thankfully on the outside, it is still in keeping with its medieval location.

Even the museum entrance/exit and gift shop are well hidden.

Views over the city through old glass windows.

Doorway from the palace hall to the private imperial chapel.

A strongbox… sadly without a description plaque.

The private imperial chapel – there is a large hole in the floor, and another hall below where commoners could come to hear services without interacting with the castle’s more elevated inhabitants! This double chapel saw daily masses since 1216. The Emperor’s, (top part of the) chapel was likely only used when the emperor/king was in residence and was only accessible through the upper hallways of the ruler’s chambers.

Stone relics ‘The Resurrection of Christ’ and ‘The Ascension of Mary’, Augsburg, c.1530.

The side altar of the Emperor Frederick III. Figures from the shrine are (left to right) Charlamagne, St Henry, St Kunigunde, St Helena of Nuremberg, c.1487/.

Figures below are wings from a larger, now lost, altarpiece, c.1401.

Mother of God, Nuremberg, c.1450-1460… this is one of a small collection of Nuremberg Madonna’s that are characterised by being life-sized and close to resembling natural people.

These frescos are believed to have been installed prior to a visit from Charles V, King of Spain who was crowned King in 1520 and referred to himself as the ‘Chosen Roman Emperor’.
Frescoes attributed to Hans Weiditz, Augsburg, c.1519.

Looking down from the Emperor’s Chapel at the multi-layered chapel for the masses.

Relief of Emperor Ludwig IV the Bavarian, from the Nuremberg Town Hall, c.1340, cast after a model in Munich… sigh. Hate this shit : a lot of the info I’m saving is acquired by translating stuff after we leave a place. I’m looking at these things in situ and thinking, that doesn’t look right, get some time later and translate any info only to find out that we are looking at a late 18thC plaster replicas or something. :/

Same with this one…
Monumental statue of Emperor Charles IV from the Old Town Bridge Tower of Prague’s Charles Bridge, Peter Parker, c.1370-1400. Original in sandstone, cast (below) in plaster.

Magnificne manuscript of the Golden Bull, Prague, 1400, leather, pen and parchment… reads the first half of the description. 😐 There’s a running them here; it’s a facsimile the original is in Vienna, in the Austrian National Library. The codex of constitution documents were commissioned by King Wenceslas c.1378-1400 and oh who gives a shit, this is a copy as well executed as some of my more proficient SCA calligrapher friends could make.

Humpback cup, Ellington & Co, Birmingham, c.1886. Copper brass, gilding… another fucking copy – is nothing in this museum original? The original 16thC cup is somewhere else and it doesn’t even tell us. The cup and other objects were part of the ceremonial table dictated for use in the Golden Bull.

Holy Lance: Replica! Holy Hand Grenade: Replica! Holy Dagger thing: Replica!
The original objects symbolised the military strength of the head of the empire of Otto I (936-973).

The room had these neat – but obviously modern – reliefs that depicted the famous and important houses of Nuremberg. For some reason these didn’t bother me so much, as they weren’t accompanied by an info plaque and obviously weren’t pretending to be medieval artefacts. *shrug*

Coronation of Ludwig IV the Bavarian, in Milan as King of Italy on May 31, 1327, work attributed to Agostino Di Giovanni (c. 1310-1370)… or at least the original marble one was. This is a plaster case made in Munich.

Oh thank fuck!!! I really enjoyed looking at this glass tankard, and was just now sitting here thinking, it was probably painted by some dude named Hans last week!

Imperial Eagle Tankard, 17thC glass, enamel painted, Nuremberg.
The double headed eagle was often the motif of imperial allegories and represented the structure and significant of the empire. The quaternion eagle has the individual coats of arms on its wings of the various imperial estates.

So, for the sake of representation there were some large information plaques which detailed these very famous objects associated with the Crown Treasury of Nuremberg and the Holy Roman Empire. The crown, dalmatic, and under tunic in particular are objects I am hoping to see at the Kunsthistoriches… but they’ve obviously been included here for education’s sake – and I’m really beginning to think this is a very well laid out place for school kids to come learn Stuff (which shouldn’t detract from my enjoyment of the displays – but it fucking does!).

The following Palace rooms were the private chambers of the emperor/s in the upper floors of the castle; they’ve been set up post WWII to give an impression of homeliness with some furniture, portraits…
Baroque Chest, Tyrols, c.17thC.

Wappendecke: Coat of arms cover, Fritz Haeberlein, Nuremberg, c.1947…?

Prunkofen: a magnificent Stove, Nuremberg, c.1675. Timber exterior and tiled interior.

Four keys from the lock of the Imperial Regalia, c.16th/17thC.
In 1423, Emperor Sigmund entrusted the City of Nuremberg with the safekeeping of the Imperial Regalia. The relics were kept safely locked in a shrine, in the church of the Holy Spirit Hospital, which was under the city council jurisdiction. Access to the chapel vault was secured by multiple persons holding different keys.

The views out to the courtyard… while walking through these rooms today, I was wondering what it must have been like for the high born womenfolk who inhabited these walls. Now, I reckon these windows were probably installed after WWII and no medieval women looked out these windows.

Armbrut: Cross bow, Nurember, c.16thC,. Bow: steel. String: hemp. Column: wood, black horn and white etched horn inlay.

LEFT: Bolt case, some labeled with the name of the Nurember patrician family, “Volckamer”, c.1595. Wood, fittings of iron, partly tinned, handle of brass.
RIGHT: German crossbow crankequin. Heavy craniquins like this one were indispensable for drawing the bow-string on a robust steeel bow.

Drinking vessel in the shape of a richly ornamented cannon. When the cover is opened, it becomes apparent it is for dining. Citizen’s Artillery of Nuremberg, c.15thC.

Maximilian style armour.
“The suit of plate armor is a complex artistic and technological masterpiece. In development since around 1300, full body armor made up of many different parts had reached its highest level of complexity by 1500. In principle, the individual parts had to be adapted to the individual wearer if the armor was to be fully functional. Not everyone could afford such tailor-made armor, however. Many fighters put together their protective equipment from parts that were already available. In order to increase mobility, individual parts of the armor could be left out at any time.
A suit of plate armor is a complex artistic and technological masterpiece. It was developed from ca. 1300 on and reached its highest complexity around 1500. Generally, each part had to be fitted to the individual wearer, if the armour was to function properly. However, not every fighting man could afford customised armour. Protection often had to be improvised and adapted from available parts. In order to increase mobility, parts would be left off.” Sounds familiar…

Two breastplates of late Gothic Armour; from the town hall in Spittal, Carinthia, Austria. C.1450-1500.
Iron, forged, steeled, filed, and originally polished.

Late Gothic armoured gloves.
Germany, iron, forged, steeled, ground, polished, leather later addition, c.1450.

Two backplates of Late Gothic armour from the town hall in Spittal, Carinthia, Austria. C.1450-1500.
Iron – forged, steeled, filed and originally polished.

Helms: 1) Bascine, 14thC. 2) Bascinet, German, late 14thC. 3) Kettle hat or Chapel-de fer, Tirol c1400.
4) Jousing helm, Tyrol, late 15thC. 5) Sallet, Frankie, c.1450/60. 6) Italian bascinet, Northern Italian late 15thC.

Gothic suit of equestrian armour – almost complete condition which is extremely rare apparently. Nuremberg armoury, the fancy shoe tips made it unsuitable for combat. It could have Ben worn only be a rider. The help is not original to this suit.

Nuremberg, c.1470/80. Iron – steeled, ground and originally polished to a high sheen.

Iron-clad door with iron fittings. . Dates from the reign on fate Bohemian and German Kings Charles IV or his son Wenceslas. 2nd half 14thC.

There was a very small section that dealt with the history of Nuremberg after the period of theHoly Roman Empire and glossed over WWII fairly quickly.

Ok… the Castle was very cool and I really enjoyed seeing the buildings a the layout of the fortress complex… but fuck me, I was so dirty when I discovered how many of the artefacts were just bloody modern replicas. I know it shouldn’t detract from the enjoyment of seeing these things in this context, but it fucking does! I walked up (and back down – which is sometimes even more painful) four storeys of stairs with a severely torn meniscus to see stupid copies of things? My heart rate was up around 150bpm the whole time, and I was overheating due to the excessive pain from my knee joint (and an involuntary habit of holding my breath inappropriately while in pain) and for what? To see shit that I would have been better off looking up high res images of the originals, online? It was so deflating.

Encountered this amazing vending machine in a shopping centre car park of all places – full of cheese and charcuterie! And here’s me thinking Japan has the best vending machines.

After the castle, we made our way to Haupmarkt to see the famous Schöner Brunnen fountain, a 14thC Gothic fountain locate next to Nuremberg’s main markets and the town hall. It is 19m high and in the shape of a church spire. It was built by Heinrich Beheim in 1385.

The Frauenkirche is not far away and is the Roman Catholic parish church of Nuremberg. It was built at the commission of Emperor Charles VI from 1352-1362 as a hall church. It is full of sculptures, many of them have been preserved from around the time of construction, so they are c.1360 also. There wasn’t a lot of information available in the church, an it was smaller than I expected.

The facade of the Frauenkirche has as clock called the ‘Männleinlaufen’ (Little Men Running) which is activated at noon, and has seven little men – representing electors of Nuremberg – that move with chimes. It was built/ordered by Charles IV in 1356 to commemorate the Nuremberg code of Laws, the Golden Bull. The clock was removed during WWII and stored in a Nuremberg Art Bunker.

The inner vestibule was full of brightly painted relief art work – I imagine this is what a lot of the old cathedrals looked like but haven’t been restored over the centuries.

The Tucher Alter c.1440/50 came from a demolished Augustinian Church – the Frauenkirche was used as a Protestant church for several centuries and much of the art and sculpture came back into he church when it was redesignated? reconsecrated? by the Catholic Church.

There has been an organ in this church since 1492, however this one is from the 1950s.

I got nothing on this sculpture, other than that Baby Jee looks stoned.

Pergenstorfer Epitaph.

Stopped by a bookshop, having decided to acquire a couple of well known books to try to read in German. I figure this immersion stuff has to help at some point. It’s sure not helping here; every time I try to speak with people in German they can tell I’m not a native speaker immediately and they switch to English. How are you supposed to get any better if people won’t talk to you? :/

St Seibald’s Church apparently began with a grave in 1070, and not long afterwards reports of healing miracles occurring at his grave are documented.

The Chruch that is here today was built in the first half of the 13thC as a late Romanesque pillared basilica with a double choir. It was around this time that Nuremberg was becoming an important centre of commerce in Central Europe. In the early 1300s the side aisles were expanded, and the high Gothic choir loft was added between 1361 and 1379. Seibald became the patron saint of aspiring commercial ventures, even though he was apparently not canonised until 1425.

Master of the Tucher Altar, c.1440 and Elizabeth Starch Epitath, c.1450.

’Schüsslesfeider’, Saint Christoper, c.1442.

Most of the partially preserved stained glass in this church was donated by the families of City Council members of the Free Imperial City of Nuremberg, in the 14thC. Some was replaced c.1500, and the ‘newest’ glass in the cathedral was installed in 1601.

Madonna on the Crescent Moon, c.1437.

Glass: Behaim Window with the Annunciation and the Nativity, c.1330.

Altar of Saint Peter, c.1477.

Memborial for the Schroeder-Landaeur families, c.1490-92.

Peter Vischer and Sons tomb of St Seibald, c.1508-1519.

The organ was a late addition – we were just discussing how it wasn’t up in a specific organ loft like we had seen in many cathedrals, and actually looked to be a free-standing object. Then we discovered it was only added to the church in 1975.

St Catherine – originally on the Exterior of the Last Judgement Portal c.1310.

And of course the bit I’m always curious about – during WWII, between 1943 and 1945, the church was repeatedly hit by bombs and severely damaged (hence the partially preserved stained glass). As late as April 20, 1945, both towers were bombarded until fires broke out and melted the medieval bells. The first phase of reconstruction lasted 12 years and ended in 1957. There are still repair and removal of war damage happening today.

Anna Oelhafen Epitaph, c.1528.

Having a very sparse breakfast, and having skipped lunch, we gave up on our churching and went hunting for some dinner. Angus found this place which is a local Franconian ‘field to table’ restaurant – the beers, wine, water, juice tea are all sourced from Franconia; vegetables are all grown locally in Knoblauchsland, fishes are sauced from Heinl an Erlangen fishmonger, sausages come from the Nuremberg butcher, and game is delivered by someone named Waffler from his local hunting ground. It made me think of the 40 Happy Cows that Le Cinq have on a farm some 20kms out of Paris just to make butter for the restaurant! 🙂

Angus opted for the bratwurst platter which came with rye bread and the most sour of sauerkraut you’ve ever tried in your life, and I opted for a pork shoulder because it seems I have a habit of panic ordering when I’m not speaking English! It was a sizeable and somewhat fatty portion that came with potato dumplings (which Angus enjoyed), and red cabbage – not sour.

After we finished our meal, we stopped in a grocery store for some toothpaste (weirdly, we both thought the other would have a decent sized tube and neither of us did!) and I saw these – these lemon wafer biscuits are, without a doubt, one of my FAVOURITE European snacks that I can’t get back home… it took all my ‘keine zucker’ willpower to not buy them, especially as they were selling them in packs of 5 for like €2.39. Insta-regret kicked in as soon as we got back! LOLi

Our next stop in Nuremberg was to ferret out Albrect Drurers house – which you wouldn’t think would be that difficult to find, but it’s easy to get turned around in the windy little medieval streets.

This is a cool house, but not Drurer’s house.

Finally found it – Albrect Dürer (1471-1528), is Germany’s most famous painter lived in this house now turned musuem.

St Jerome in his Study, Albrect Durer, c.1521

Paumgartner Altar, c.1498.

Portrait of Oswolt Krel, c. 1499.

Adoration of the Magi, c.1517.
The covered chalices and chains demonstrate Durer’s background as a goldsmith.

The Four Apostles, Guardians of Justice, c.1526. Guardians of Justice.

Maria with the Pear Slice, c.1512.

Self Portrait with Eryngium, c.1493

Self Portrait, c. 1498.

Dürer originally trained as a goldsmith and in 1487, ended his goldsmith’s apprenticeship with his father in order to start anew as an apprentice at the workshop of the famous painter Michael Wolgemut. Additionally, he specialised in a completely new profession: that of book illustrator and free graphic artist. Before too long his talents attracted rich and highly educated customers. In 1496, he met the man who would become his most important patron, Elector Frederick of Saxony.

Dürer’s House is a typical Nuremberg Fachwerkhaus, where he lived from 1509 to 1528. It is in Nuremberg’s Altstadt near the Kaiserburg section of the Nuremberg Castle and the Tiergätnertor. It is the only artist’s house turned museum of its kind… apparently?

Living rooms and study spaces are furnished with period furniture. Dürer’s family life was rather out of the ordinary: in 1494, he married Agnes Frey, at the behest of both his father and hers. While Dürer’s mother had been pregnant eighteen times, his own marriage remained childless.

I love these windows… why don’t we make windows like this anymore?

A small cupboard and a hand washing space.

Wall clock… no information on these. But plenty of small plaques asking visitors to not touch things!

The downstairs kitchen is designed in such a way as the heat rises to warm the upper floors.

The upper floors contain a recreation of the artists workshop spaces.

An engraving plate and a glass sphere that could be used as a magnifier.

Printing systems.

Was very cool hour or so checking out Dürer’s house… even knowing most of the art works are replicas didn’t detract from how cool it is to be walking through this living museum space with its smoky hallway and centuries old furniture. The rest of the day was spent working before we moved on!