BELVEDERE, Upper Belvedere Introduction

The top part of the garden is dominated by the Upper Belvedere, the spectacular Baroque building built for receptions given by Prince Eugene of Savoy; upon his death, he bequeathed it to the Habsburgs, who used it as their official headquarters and museum. Over the years, several collections have come and gone here, including the imperial picture gallery and the collection of Egyptian antiquities, until the current selection, which celebrates Austrian art up to the early 20th century.

Built in 1721-22, the Upper Belvedere represents a profound turning point in 18th-century architecture. Definitively abandoning the classic Baroque model, Lukas von Hildebrandt organized a system of buildings of unpredictable shapes, almost a sequence of pavilions of different heights and depths, linked together. The patterning of the windows, the presence of the curved line in the gables and the little domes at the corners, the variety of the crownwork, and the touch of color provided by the green roofs covered with copper plates make this palace the finest example of Austrian Rococo.

If you have entered from the Lower Belvedere, go and admire the magnificence of the rear facade, originally used as the entrance to the palace. It looks onto a garden, and is reflected in the waters of a large basin fountain. Especially impressive are the magnificent sculptures of quivering horses that flank the entrance and accompany the visitor into the striking atrium.

Now press pause and go to the entrance of the museum....