They spent their wealth on magnificent palaces and grand public buildings. They built an opera house that rivals any in Europe. They founded GREat museums and libraries. They constructed massive, ornate government buildings. And they raised opulent palaces for themselves.
A tour of Vienna is a tour of these monuments to excess.
Take Schonbrunn Palace, for instance. It was the summer palace of the Hapsburg monarchs from its construction in 1696 until the fall of the dynasty in 1918[1]. It was enlarged by Maria Theresa in 1743, and remains today much as she left it.
The Million Room in it, named after the cost of the decorations-- 1 million guilders[2] -- is a Rococo[3] masterpiece. Inset in the paneling are 260 rare miniatures of Indo-Persian heritage. The frames are real gold leaf, and the paneling is precious wood. This was Maria Theresa\'s private salon.
The Great Gallery[4], modeled after a room in Versailles near Paris, has 35-foot ceilings graced with giant frescoes boasting of the power of the Austrian army. Massive crystal chandeliers reflect in the wall of mirrors, trimmed in gold leaf. Other rooms are decorated with Chinese lacquered panels, gilded work, ornate wood carvings and large murals.
