Read part one here. Read part two here. The new Empress of the French took care of petitions, planned dinners and became a patron of the arts. She often awoke together with her husband before going about her toilette. She was given an allowance of 600,000 francs to maintain her household. Her days hardly ever [read more]
Marie Louise of Austria was born on 12 December 1791 as the daughter of Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor and Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily at the Hofburg in Vienna. As she grew up, she was taught to resent all things French. Her grandmother Maria Carolina was the sister of Marie Antoinette, the French Queen who was guillotined. [read more]
Once upon a time, this place was called Schloss Jägerhof and it was inhabited by Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici, the wife of the late Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine, visited by Marie Louise of Austria, wife of Emperor Napoleon I and until 1885 it was used as a residence for the family of Karl Anton, Prince of [read more]
The Augustinian Church (or Augustinerkirche) is located on the side of the Hofburg (Augustinerstraße 3) and it seems rather insignificant and small. However, this church was the private church for the members of the Habsburg family for many years. It was founded in 1327 by Duke Frederick the Handsome. It was the sight of the weddings between the [read more]
The Imperial Crypt (or Kaisergruft) in Vienna is certainly one of Vienna’s hidden treasures. It was founded in 1618 and has been the principal place of burial for members of the House of Habsburgs. It contains the bones of 145 people, plus four urns containing hearts or cremated remains. Not all are visible. It’s quite [read more]
Last week I was invited to view the new Alexander, Napoleon & Josephine: A Story of Love, War and Art exhibition at the Hermitage Amsterdam. The exhibition holds many art objects collected by Empress Joséphine after her divorce from Napoleon and also treasures such as Napoleon’s death mask, a briefcase used by Alexander I and [read more]
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