HOFBURG, Neue Burg

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The vast central courtyard of the Hofburg is surrounded on all sides by Renaissance and Baroque buildings erected to house residences and offices of the imperial chancellery.

A vaulted passage leads to the vast esplanade of Heidenplatz, the Heroes' Square, so named for the equestrian statues of two great leaders: Prince Eugene of Savoy, who led victorious battles against the Turks, and Archduke Charles I, who defeated Napoleon.

Kept as a garden, the square was supposed to be the outer courtyard of the Hofburg, but the demolition of the city walls and the construction of the Ring transformed it into a large urban scenario with open perspectives. At the back is the neoclassical Burgtor, a powerful arched doorway that leads through to the Ring and the square dedicated to Maria Theresa.

The south side is closed by the semicircular colonnade of the Neue Burg, or New Fortress, commissioned by Franz Joseph in the late 19th century. The huge building was designed as a backdrop for military parades and as a setting for solemn ceremonies. The fortress still maintains this representative function, and its halls often host conferences or political and diplomatic meetings; on such occasions, part of the museums is closed to the public....

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