| Miramare Castle
|
Related links:
Trieste
- Il Borgo Teresiano
- La cittą Vecchia
- Cathedral of San Giusto
|
|
The stop at Miramare, both the
park and the fairy-tale castle
where Archduke Ferdinand
Maximilian, the brother of the
Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph,
and his wife Carlotta lived, is a
definite must. Its was sheer on
the sea that Maximilian asked
architect C. Junker to build his castle,
inaugurated on Christmas Eve 1860.
The ill-fated owner of the castle lived in it
only for four years, until 1864 when he
left for Mexico, whose
imperial crown he
had accepted but
where be was
executed by the
revolutionary
troops of B. Juarez
in 1867. The square
architecture of the
Castle, with
crenellated towers at
the corners, recalls the
medieval military
buildings, which are
here smoothed by the
white stone they are
faced with. Inside the
Castle preserves the
original furnishings and
the charm of a princely
home, considered one of
the richest in the second half
of the 19th century. On the ground
floor the visit includes the Archdukes'
apartments, marked by light blue tapestries:
Maximilian's bedroom (in nautical style) and
study, called Sala Novara, are the
reconstruction of the after cabin of the Austrian
|
 |
flagship; the rich library, the dining
room, Carlotta's Biedermeier drawing-room;
in the tower, the boudoir, Carlotta's small
drawing-room; then the bedroom, a gift from
the city of Milan on the couple's wedding;
Carlotta's dressing room, the chapel and
finally the room of the Rose Wind. The grand
staircase leads to the first floor, more
luxurious and intended for guests, where the
main colour is red: the princes' drawing
room, the sovereigns' hall, the four-poster
bed, a gift from Napoleon III, the audience
room, the conversation room, the two
precious and refined Japanese and Chinese
drawing-rooms, the historical room, with
|
|
paintings by Cesare
dell'Acqua (episodes
from
the history of the castle) and the Allegory of the building
of Miramare on the ceiling. The impressive
throne room was required by Maximilian as
|
|
the place of his triumph, for the celebration
of Mexico and the glorious past of the
House of Hapsburg. The view
of the park, created at the behest of
Maximilian himself, is
magnificent: full
of charm, the park has
thousands of species of
plants, flowers, shrubs and
ancients trees, interspersed
with artificial ponds,
parterre with Italian garden
and panoramic terracing.
The sea strip in front of the
castle is a Marine Wildlife
Reserve: there are centres
for environmental
education, sighting and
rescue of protected species
(in the Castelletto in the
park). Underwater tours
may be organized in the
reserve 30 hectares of sea.
The hothouses host a
Tropical Park.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| PROVINCE OF TRIESTE
|
|
 |
A long and narrow strip of land between
Slovenia and the sea, projecting
eastwards to Istria, the province of Trieste
holds the curious record of being the
smallest in Italy. It is divided into six
municipalities, north-to-south:
Duino-Aurisina, Sgonico,
Monrupino, San Dorligo
della Valle and
Muggia. Trieste,
the regional capital city, is
isolated in the middle, facing
the sea. An important
crossroads for ...go
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
