BELVEDERE, Presentation

Hi, my name’s Marcy, and I’m your personal guide. Along with MyWoWo, I’d like to welcome you to one of the Wonders of the World: the Belvedere.

The Belvedere is a splendid Baroque building, in which Gustav Klimt's finest masterpieces are displayed.

A palace, a garden, a villa... the Belvedere in Vienna is all of these things: an innovative building that marked a significant turning point in 18th-century European stately architecture.

It was the summer residence, outside the ancient city walls, of Prince Eugene of Savoy, a great leader in the wars against the Turks. The complex consists of two separate buildings, the Lower and Upper Belvedere, connected by a gently sloping French garden carved out along the slope of a scenic knoll.

At the time of construction, the area was on the edge between the city and the countryside, but just a few decades later, it had become one of the most desirable areas for the noble classes, thanks to the palaces built and their lavish gardens, some of which are now home to prestigious embassies....