We have been having a wonderful time in Vienna seeing the sights and soaking up the culture. We started yesterday by going to the Schonbrunn Palace, which is supposed to rival Versailles in its magnificence. It served as the official summer residence of the Habsburgs during their tenure as Austrian and then Austro-Hungarian Emperors. And they sure knew how to show off their wealth and power. The tour we took wound through the state rooms, focusing on the history of the family and their rule. While the sights were amazing and the furnishings lavish beyond belief, the included (and mandatory, it seemed) audio tour was a real disappointment. But we took in the opulence of the surroundings and got some good Baroque decorating ideas for our next house.
The gardens outside do, in fact, rival those of Versailles. Stretching for acres, the finely sculpted grounds would take an entire day to wander around. We took in a few of the fountains before leaving the house behind.
From there, we went to the main art museum in town to see the collection of works the Habsburgs collected throughout their years ruling the empire. Masterpieces from Durer, Rembrandt, Holbein, and more adorned the walls. As with most art galleries, it was a lot to take in, especially after just leaving such a magnificent palace, so we did our best, focusing on the major works and soaking in the scene.
Today has been no less busy. We started the day by going to the Hofburg Chapel, located in the Habsburg winter palace, to hear the Vienna Boys Choir in all their greatness. We arrived about an hour before the service began and waited in line (in a slight drizzle) to get standing-room places in the church. The music was wonderful. Unfortunately, the choir is seated on a high balcony, un-viewable to the chapel occupants. While it�s kind of a hassle to get in to hear them, the experience was quite amazing and definitely worthwhile.
We spent the remainder of the day touring the winter palace, whose decoration and opulence matched that of the Schonbrunn Palace from the day before, and looking at the Treasury. I always find treasuries interesting for their collection of religious memorabilia. For many centuries, reliquaries were all the rage. These elaborate containers were fashioned to hold religiously important artifacts, which could then be displayed in a church or used in religious ceremonies. Usually the reliquaries contained bone shards from saints and so forth. But here, in the heart of the former Holy Roman Empire, the reliquaries soared to new heights.
Now, granted, many reliquaries are hoaxes, and many claims can never be verified, so when we saw some of the items in the treasury, we were understandably skeptical. But it�s always fun to look at these things and wonder if, just maybe, the claims might be true. In the display cases were reliquaries holding pieces of the true cross, thorns from the crown placed on Jesus� head, and, the most astonishing of all, the nail used to attach His right hand to the cross, complete and unmarred. Apparently, Constantine, when he became the first Christian Roman Emperor, fused the nail to his helmet when going into battle. He had the Pope proclaim its authenticity, and it has been, I assume, documented ever since then. The reliquary holds the nail and the seal the Pope affixed to the document declaring its authenticity.
We have seen a great deal of Vienna over the last few days, and now our visit is almost at an end. Tomorrow morning we board a train for Munich. But Vienna will always be a fond memory for us and a place we will try to see again.
Paul and Colleen
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