September 1, 2026:
Trieste belonged, as Triest, to the Habsburg monarchy from 1382 until 1918. In the 19th century, the monarchy was one of the Great Powers of Europe and Trieste was its most important seaport. As a prosperous trading hub in the Mediterranean region, Trieste grew to become the fourth largest city of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (after Vienna, Budapest, and Prague).
At the turn of the 20th century, Trieste emerged as an important hub for literature and music. Trieste underwent an economic revival during the 1930s, and the Free Territory of Trieste became a major site of the struggle between the Eastern and Western blocs after the Second World War.
Old Town Trieste Walk
Our Old Town Trieste Walk started and ended at the Park San Guisto Parking Garage, where we took an elevator to San Guisto Hill to start the tour of Trieste.
Park San Guisto Elevator
San Guisto Hill
Just before the square at the top of San Giusto Hill stands a large statue honoring those who fell in the First World War (Monumento ai Caduti di Trieste). Inaugurated in 1935 in the presence of King Vittorio Emanuele III himself and several Fascist leaders, the monument was designed by the Trieste sculptor Attilio Selva, while Enrico del Nebbio, architect of the famous Foro Italico and the Palazzo della Farnesina, created the marble base.
Monumento ai Caduti di Trieste
Next to this First World War monument is a large Roman Forum. This is the most ancient nucleus of the Roman Trieste, built at the time of Julius Caesar with the name of Tergeste (column of the ancient basilica are visible).
Roman Forum – Ancient Roman Empire
Next to the Roman Forum is the Castello di San Guisto. Built around a Captain’s House, the castle has a Round or Venetian Bastion, a polygonal Lalio or Hoyos Bastion, and a triangular Fiorito or Pomis Bastion.
Castello di San Giusto (Castle of St. Justus)
Cattedrale di San Giusto Martire (Cathedral of Saint Justus Martyr)
San Guisto Hill is dominated by the Cattedrale di San Giusto Martire (Cathedral of Saint Justus Martyr). The gabled façade is characterized by a large double rose window, a statue of Saint Justus holding a palm frond and the original church, coats of arms and a portal deriving from the cutting of a Roman funeral stone.
Cattedrale di San Giusto Martire (Cathedral of Saint Justus Martyr)
Statue of Saint Justus Holding a Palm Frond and the Original Church on the Bell Tower
Coats of Arms
Main Entrance to the Cathedral – Cut from Roman Funerary Stone
The square plan bell tower was originally higher, but in 1422, following a thunderbolt, its height was reduced to the present one.
Shortened Bell Tower
The Cathedral’s current aspect derives from the union of the two pre-existing churches: St. Mary’s Church and the Church dedicated to Saint Justus the Martyr, the Patron Saint of the city of Trieste. This union was accomplished by the then bishop Roberto Pedrazzani da Robecco between 1302 and 1320, thus providing the city with a magnificent cathedral. During the fusion an aisle was pulled down; therefore, the plan of the Cathedral became made up of a nave and four aisles.
Nave and Four Aisles (Two Churches Combined)
The beautiful apse mosaics of the original churches, done in the 12th and 13th centuries by a Venetian artist, still remain in the apses of the side aisles of the present church.
The Apse of the Assumption (Left/Northern Aisle) features a Ravenna-Venetian mosaic showing the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child flanked by archangels, with a row of the Apostles below (the Apostles are represented in the Latin series, that is, with James the Less and Thaddeus instead of Mark and Luke).
Apse of the Assumption
The Apse of Saint Justus (Right/Southern) features a Ravenna-Venetian mosaic depicting a majestic Christ with Saints Justus and Servulus. Below the mosaic are faded frescoes of the life of Saint Justus from the 13th century.
Apse of Saint Justus
To the right of the Apse of Saint Justus there is a chapel called San Apollinare or San Nicolò which houses a late 13th-early 14th-century faded fresco depicting the Etimasia (which symbolizes the prepared throne for the Second Coming of Christ or the Last Judgment and represents the majesty and invisible presence of God), as well as a pictorial cycle dedicated to the martyrdom of the saint.
Chapel of San Apollinaire or San Nicolò
The mosaics in the presbytery (central apse) date from 1932.
Presbytery (Central Apse)
The modern pulpit has intricate carvings.
Carved Wooden Pulpit
A section of the original 5th-century floor mosaic still remains opposite the presbytery, incorporated into the floor of the present church.
Fifth Century Floor Mosaic
The Chapel of the Treasure holds important objects like the reliquary urn of Saint Justus and the Battuti crucifix, both dating from the thirteenth century, and the halberd of Saint Sergius, which has become the emblem of Trieste (according to legend, the weapon miraculously fell from the sky into the city forum on October 8, 303, when the holy soldier was martyred in Syria – strictly speaking, the weapon is not a halberd, but rather some kind of trident).
Chapel of the Treasure
The Chapel of San Guiseppe (Chapel of St. Joseph) has extensive frescoes, and the altar is adorned with intricate marble work.
Chapel of San Guiseppe (Chapel of St. Joseph)
There are also side altars.
Side Altars
The central nave includes a modern baptismal font.
Central Nave and Baptismal Font
And a marble statue of Saint Justus created by Luigi Ferrari in 1870.
Statue of Saint Justus
Out in the churchyard, there are small medieval chapels to Saints Michael and John.
Chapel of St. Michael (Capella di San Michele)
Chapel of St. John (Capella di San Giovanni)
Arco di Riccardo (Richard’s Arch)
Our first stop on our downhill walk to the waterfront from the cathedral was the Arco di Riccardo. The Arco di Riccardo (literally, “Richard’s Arch”) is a Roman triumphal arch. The 7.2 meter arch is the only remaining part of the city’s Roman walls, constructed from 33–32 BC.
Arco di Riccardo (Richard’s Arch)
Church of Santa Maria Maggiore
Next we explored the interior of the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore. The interior has a Latin cross plan divided into three naves, with a transept and apse.
Church of Santa Maria Maggiore Interior
On the crossing stands the dome built in 1817 and frescoed by Giuseppe Bernardino Bison with the Quattro Evangelisti (Four Evangelists) and false architectures.
Church of Santa Maria Maggiore Dome
The high altar is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. It was built between 1672 and 1717. The altar continues optically in the apse mural with a depiction of the Immaculate Conception, frescoed in 1842 by Sebastiano Santi.
High Altar and Apse Mural
To the left of the apse in is the Cappella del Crocefisso (Chapel of the Crucifix), which also features the altar dedicated to the Buona Morte (Good Death).
Cappella del Crocefisso (Chapel of the Crucifix)
and the altar dedicated to the Buona Morte (Good Death)
To the right of the apse is the chapel of the Madonna della Salute, with a 17th century painting of the Virgin attributed to Sassoferrato.
Chapel of the Madonna della Salute
The church also has an ornate pulpit and an Apparition of the Immaculate to Saint Maximilian Maria Kolbe.
Ornate Pulpit
Apparition of the Immaculate to Saint Maximilian Maria Kolbe
Outside the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore is a shrine dedicated to St. Anthony and Jesus the Christ Child.
Shrine of St. Anthony Holding the Christ Child
Basilica of San Silvestro (Church of St. Sylvester)
Next to the Church of Santa Maggiore is the Basilica of San Silvestro (Church of St. Sylvester). The Basilica of San Silvestro (eleventh/twelfth century) is the oldest church in Trieste. Today it is the center of the Helvetic and Waldensian Evangelical community. It recently changed its name to the Basilica del Cristo Salvatore (Church of Christ the Savior).
Basilica of San Silvestro (Church of St. Sylvester)
As might be expected for the Helvetic and Waldensian Evangelical community, the interior is relatively plain.
Plain Interior
A stone with a Latin inscription, above the main door, commemorates an event that occurred in 1785 – under Emperor Josef II, the Basilica of San Silvestro was put up for public auction at a price of 1,500 florins.
Stone with Latin Inscription Above the Main Door
The prized organ of the Basilica of San Silvestro was completely restored recently. Used not only to accompany religious services, it is also frequently a lead instrument in various musical evenings organized in the basilica.
Prized Organ
Scalinata delle Medaglie d’Oro (Gold Medal Stairway):
The Scalinata delle Medaglie d’Oro is a stepped pedestrian street, descending from the Church of Santa Maria de Maggiore and the Basilica of San Silvestro.
Medaglie d’Oro stairway (topped by Church of Santa Maria Maggiore)
Piazza Unità d’Italia (Unity of Italy Square)
Piazza Unità d’Italia is the main square in Trieste. Located at the foot of San Guisto Hill, the square faces the Adriatic Sea. It is often said to be Europe’s largest square located next to the sea. The square was built during the period when Trieste was the most important seaport of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire and includes the city’s municipal buildings and other important palaces.
Piazza Unità d’Italia (Unity of Italy Square)
Before 1919 it was known as Piazza Grande, or Great Square. The local Slovenes still refer to it as Veliki trg (Great Square), both in daily speech and in the media. In the last decade, the term Trg zedinjenja (Unity Square) or Trg zedinjenja Italije (Unity of Italy Square) has also become popular, especially in official documents.
Designed by architect Giuseppe Bruni, Trieste’s City Hall was built between 1873 and 1875 on the site previously occupied by the Magistrate’s Palace and the Loggia with a bell tower, for use by the city council with a gallery for the public.
Trieste City Hall
Palazzo Pitteri, also known as Palazzo Plenario-Pitteri, is the oldest building in Piazza Unità d’Italia. Its construction dates back to 1780, commissioned by the wealthy merchant Domenico Plenario, who entrusted the project to the Carnian architect Ulderico Moro. The palace stood on the site of the 17th-century Piccardi houses and the Locanda Grande, a historic lodging structure for passing travelers.
Palazzo Pitteri
Standing in front of the Palazzo Pitteri is a column dedicated to Charles VI. Charles VI was Holy Roman Emperor and ruler of the Austrian Habsburg monarchy from 1711 until his death, succeeding his elder brother, Joseph I. He unsuccessfully claimed the throne of Spain following the death of his relative Charles II of Spain.
Colonna di Carlo VI (Column of Charles VI)
Next to the Palazzo Pitteri is a beautiful building from 1873 that currently accommodates a filial of the famous Venetian restaurant Harry’s Bar (the prices are very Venetian too). The restaurant is part of the Grand Hotel Duchi D’Aosta, which is located on the site of the inn where the well-known art historian Johann Joachim Winckelmann (1717-1768) was staying when, for reasons that have never become clear, he was murdered by an unemployed cook from Pistoia.
Harry’s Bar
Lloyd Triestino was a major shipping company, created in 1919 when the city of Trieste became part of Italy in the settlement after the First World War. It ran passenger services on ocean liners around the world. Seriously harmed by Second World War, in which it lost 68 ships, it recovered to run passenger services with new ships on routes as far as Australia. In 2006, with the business by then mainly container freight, the company’s name was changed to Italia Marittima.
Palazzo del Lloyd Triestino
The Government Palace was built between 1901 and 1905 in the same site as the existing, and much more modest, home of the Austrian Lieutenancy. The latter, built in 1764 by the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria on the buried basin, called Mandracchio, was demolished in 1899 to make room for this jewel. Today it houses the Offices of the Regional Commissariat for Friuli Venezia Giulia and those of the Prefecture of Trieste.
Government Palace
Also on the square, Caffè degli Specchi is perhaps the finest (and the snobbiest) of Trieste’s many grand cafés.
Caffè degli Specchi
Completed in 1754 by sculptor Giovanni Battista Mazzoleni, the Fountain of the Four Continents was commissioned to celebrate the city’s growing role as a free port of the Habsburg Empire.
Fountain of the Four Continents
The composition features allegorical statues personifying Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, each accompanied by animals and symbols representing their cultures and landscapes. Europe appears crowned, holding a scepter and a model of Trieste, emphasizing the city’s loyalty to the Habsburgs. Asia is adorned with exotic fabrics, Africa is depicted with a lion and palm trees, while the Americas are represented by a figure in a feathered headdress, all gathered around a tiered rock formation from which water flows into a wide basin.
Continents of Africa and Asia
Continents of Europe and Americas
In front of the Piazza Unità d’Italia and next to the Molo Audace (Audace Pier) you will find the bronze statues of two girls called Le Ragazze di Trieste (The Girls of Trieste) or Le Sartine (The Seamstresses). The work of the sculptor Fiorenzo Bacci from Todino, the bronze group depicts two girls from Trieste sewing the tricolor (Italian flag) that would have flown from San Giusto tower on October 30, 1918.
Le Ragazze di Trieste (The Girls of Trieste)
On October 30, 1918, Trieste erupted in historic, spontaneous riots as the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed following defeats at Vittorio Veneto. Cheering crowds declared the Austrian government deposed, hoisted the Italian tricolor over the municipal building and San Giusto tower, and began taking control of the city. Just days later, on November 3, 1918, the Italian destroyer Audace officially docked in the port (now known as Molo Audace)—sealing Trieste’s integration into the Kingdom of Italy.
Molo Audace (Audace Pier)
Next to the Le Ragazze di Trieste (The Girls of Trieste) statue is another bronze statue, titled the Monumento per la Liberazione (Monument for the Liberation), which commemorates the November 3, 1918 landing of Bersaglieri (Italian) soldiers in Trieste.
Monumento per la Liberazione (Monument for the Liberation)
Chiesa Greco-Ortodossa di San Nicolo (Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Nicholas)
The church, which Trieste’s Eastern Greek Community built between 1784 and 1787, is dedicated to the Holy Trinity and Saint Nicholas (popular name: San Nicolò).
Chiesa Greco-Ortodossa di San Nicolo (Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Nicholas)
Entrance Door
The interior is lit from above and from the sides by a double row of windows and is divided into three liturgical parts: the three-apse sanctuary (presbytery), the aisle and two balconies placed on the back wall, one above for the choir and another one underneath which used to be a gynaeceum (for women only).
Interior
Two Balconies (top for choir, bottom formerly for women)
The floor is made of black and white marble squares and an eight-pointed star is placed at the center.
Floor with Eight-pointed Star
In front of the iconostasis there are icons of St. Nicholas and a Liturgic Icon.
Icon of St. Nicholas
Liturgic Icon
On the sides, two rows of wooden stalls are placed (the seat backs carry the plates with the names of the Greek families who contributed to the construction and to the rich church decorations).
Wooden Stalls
On the right-hand side, close to the iconostasis, the bishop cathedra stands out.
Bishop Cathedra
In front of the bishop cathedra, on the side wall, an elegant wooden pulpit is lodged.
Wooden Pulpit
The environment is lit by three exquisite chandeliers, made by a Russian artisan, as well as by tall candle holders.
Chandelier
Lit Candles
The wooden iconostasis is a fine carving decoration whose structure was influenced by the empire style. It raises on top of three steps and, through the three doors, it gives access to the sanctuary central and side apses containing the three altars.
Wooden Iconostasis
On the central altar, which can be accessed through the (the central) holy door, the priests celebrate the Holy Mass; whereas the side doors are reserved for the deacons.
Central “Holy Door” and Central Altar Behind
Six large icons, representing St. Spyridon, St. Nicholas, The Virgin and Child, Christ the King, the Holy Trinity and John the Baptist, depicted according to the Byzantine style, can be appreciated in the lower register of the iconostasis.
Large Byzantine Style Icons in the lower register of the iconostasis
21 fine icons are aligned on the middle register of the iconostasis. They are tempera painted boards representing various scenes from the Gospel.
21 Icons in the middle register of the iconostasis
A large oil painting representing Christ in Glory is placed on the flat ceiling.
Christ in Glory Ceiling Painting
Two paintings worth mentioning, among others, are Jesus among the Children and St. John the Baptist by Piran’s artist Cesare Dell’Acqua.
Jesus Among the Children by Cesare Dell’Acqua
St. John the Baptist Preaching by Cesare Dell’Acqua
On the way out of the church, there are two icons, Icon of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker and Icon of the Madonna and Child (Theotokos and Jesus)
Icons of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker and Madonna and Child (Theotokos and Jesus)
Piazza della Borsa
Formerly the Stock Exchange, the 1806 Greek temple–style structure in this square is now the Chamber of Commerce.
Former Stock Exchange (now Chamber of Commerce)
On a bench sitting outside the Chamber of Commerce is a statue of renowned Italian writer and poet Gabriele D’Annunzio, the work of the Bergamo sculptor Alessandro Verdi.
Statue of Italian writer and poet Gabriele D’Annunzio
Also on the square is La Fontana del Nettuno (The Fountain of Neptune).
La Fontana del Nettuno (The Fountain of Neptune)
There is also a column dedicated to Emperor Leopold I. Leopold I was Holy Roman Emperor, King of Germany, King of Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia. The second son of Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor, by his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain, Leopold became heir apparent in 1654 after the death of his elder brother Ferdinand IV, King of the Romans.
Monumento all’Imperatore Leopoldo I (Monument to Emperor Leopold I)
Canal Grande (Grand Canal)
High in spectacle but modest in length, Trieste’s Grand Canal cuts through the Borgo Teresiano neighborhood. It was carved out in the mid-18th century, between 1754 and 1756, by Matteo Pirona, a Venetian engineer working under the reign of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa.
Canal Grande (Grand Canal)
Piazza del Ponterosso
Empress Maria Theresa of Austria played a key role in the advancement of Trieste by providing funding and administrative oversight for the development of the port facilities and the city as a whole, and by the time of the empress’s death in 1780, the city had become the empire’s principal port.
In the 2010s, the city of Trieste decided to fund a memorial to commemorate Maria Theresa’s contribution to the city by commissioning a monument honoring her. The winning design, which was unveiled in 2023, was a giant copy of the Maria Theresa Thaler, one of the most famous coins in all of history.
Maria Theresa Thaler
The Piazza Ponterosso also has a fountain that was designed by Giovanni Mazzoleni in 1753. The fountain takes its name from the San Giovanni aqueduct which provided the water in the 18th century. In the second half of the 18th century the marble statue of the cherub, nicknamed Giovanin, was carved by Giovanni Carlo Wagner and placed on top of the fountain.
Fontana del Giovannin del Ponterosso
Ponte Rosso (Red Bridge)
On the Ponte Rosso, next to the Piazza Ponterosso, there is a statue of the famous Irish writer James Joyce by Nino Spagnoli, a sculptor from Ravenna, that was erected in 2004 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Joyce’s arrival in Trieste (he lived in the city for over a decade).
James Joyce Statue on the Ponte Rosso
Chiesa Serbo Ortodossa di San Spiridione (Saint Spyridon Serbian Orthodox Church)
This Church was built between 1861 and 1869, on the basis of a project by Lombard architect Carlo Maciachini, on the site of a previous temple built in 1753 and demolished in 1861 because it had been declared unsafe. It can host 1600 believers. The church is named after St. Spyridon, the patron saint of potters.
Chiesa Serbo Ortodossa di San Spiridione (Saint Spyridon Serbian Orthodox Church)
St. Spyridon’s image stands out from a golden background above the central door, whereas the images of St. Gregory and St. Athanasius with the Archangel Michael are on the left-hand side, towards the canal; on the right-hand side the Virgin Mary with St. Basil and St. John Chrysostom can be appreciated.
Icons Above Central Door
Left-Side Icons
Chiesa di Sant’Antonio Taumaturgo (Church of Saint Anthony the Wonderworker)
The church is popularly called the Church of St. Anthony New (Chiesa di Sant’Antonio Nuovo) because it replaces an earlier one with the same title, built in the second half of the eighteenth century. It was erected between 1828 and 1849 on a project made in 1808 by Swiss architect Pietro Nobile, one of the leading exponents of neoclassicism in Trieste. Nobile was inspired by the classic grandeur of famous Roman monuments.
In the past, the church was reflected in the waters of the channel arbor which, even today, partially enters the Theresian neighborhood.
Grand Canal and Chiesa di Sant’Antonio Taumaturgo (Church of Saint Anthony the Wonderworker)
The front is characterized by a magnificent pronaos with six ionic columns and a large fronton. On the attic, six statues are placed which were sculpted in 1842 by Francesco Bosa. They represent the patron saints of Trieste, who are (from left to right): St. Servolo, St. Eufemia, St. Giusto, St. Sergio, St. Tecla and St. Apollinare. The rear facade is surmounted by a pair of twin bell towers.
Front Attic with the Patron Saints of Trieste
Statue of Umberto Sava
In 2004 a bronze statue by Nino Spagnoli was erected at the corner of via Dante and via San Nicolò. It portrays the famous Italian poet and playwright Umberto Saba walking towards his beloved bookshop. The pipe between his lips – that had been a staple throughout his life – has been repeatedly stolen and it was eventually decided not to replace it.
Statue of Umberto Sava
Bronze sculpture Guerriero
This unusual sculpture was created by the Italian sculptor Marcell Mascherini (1960-61).
Bronze sculpture Guerriero
Teatro Romano di Trieste (Roman Theater of Trieste)
The Roman Theatre stands at the foot of the San Giusto Hill, behind Piazza Unità d’Italia, and is one of the most evocative vestiges of ancient Roman Tergeste.
Teatro Romano di Trieste (Roman Theater of Trieste)
Miramar Castle
Miramar Castle was built between 1856 and 1860 for Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian of Habsburg and his wife, Charlotte of Belgium and designed by Austrian engineer and architect Carl Junker.
Archduke Maximilian of Austria
Maximilian later became Emperor of Mexico, where he was executed in 1867, cutting short his time at Miramar Castle. Later visitors at the castle included Empress Elisabeth (“Sissi”) of Austria, who stayed at the property multiple times.
Gate to Miramar Castle
Miramar Castle
View in Front of the Castle
Visiting Miramar Castle: We started our tour of Miramar Castle on the ground floor, then moved up the Grand Staircase to the first floor.
Grand Staircase
The first room we visited was Maximillian’s Bedroom, which is famously designed and furnished to resemble a naval ship’s cabin. It features a metal bed enclosed by blue curtains decorated with Maximilian’s personal royal crest (there is an adjoining Bathroom). The room reflects a nautical theme with compact, wood-paneled aesthetics reminiscent of a 19th-century frigate.
Maximillian’s Ship’s Cabin Bedroom
Adjoining Bathroom
The second room we visited, Maxmillian’s Study, continues the nautical theme, modeled after the cabin of his warship, the Novara. This room has a lowered ceiling, wood panels all around, crowned anchors (naval symbol) and pineapples (weirdly rich symbol) carved everywhere. The naval motif is heavy: you can almost hear the creak of the deck below.
Maxmillian’s Study
These first two rooms reflect Maxmillian’s deep passion for the sea and his career as commander-in-chief of the Austrian Navy.
The next room was Maxmillian’s Library. Rows of bookshelves abound—the original layout preserved. Languages are mixed. This room shows the archduke wasn’t just a naval buff but a reader, a thinker.
Maxmillian’s Library
We then moved to Charlotte’s Apartments. The first room was a Sitting Room with a porcelain cabinet.
Charlotte’s Sitting Room
Then we visited a corner room – Charlotte’s Salon. This room has a prominent portrait of the Archduchess and another portrait of her as a child.
Charlotte’s Salon
The next room is Charlotte’s Bedroom. After this room, there were several rooms on the ground floor boarded up and turned into a temporary exhibit.
Charlotte’s Bedroom
We finished our tour of the ground floor by visiting Maxmillian’s and Charlotte’s Private Chapel.
Private Chapel
Then we ascended the Grand Staircase to the first floor. On the landing of the Grand Staircase was a view of the coast.
View of the Coast
Soldiers on top of the Grand Staircase
The first room we visited on the first floor was the Seagull Room (Winter Dining Room). The wooden coffered ceiling features 36 painted seagulls holding scrolls with Latin mottoes in their bills. The walls display historical paintings by Nepomuk Geiger depicting Maximilian’s 1850 Mediterranean voyage to Greece and Turkey.
Seagull Room (Winter Dining Room)
The next room we visited was the grand Throne Room. The room showcases rich, original mid-19th-century styling with majestic purple wall hangings and ornate details. Huge paintings of Habsburg emperors line the upper walls. There is also a large painting of Maxmillian as Emperor of Mexico. The room also features an impressive arched, wooden trussed ceiling.
Throne Room
This room features two large paintings. The first is An allegorical representation of the global reach of the Habsburg Empire under Emperor Charles V, featuring a world map background with symbolic figures representing different continents and powers, painted by Johann Nepomuk Geiger in 1868.
Allegory of the Dominions of Charles V
The second is the Habsburg-Lorraine Family Tree, a painting by Cesare Dell’Acqua from 1863.
Habsburg-Lorraine Family Tree
Next was a room with two elaborate cabinets, the Historic Hall. This hall had historic paintings on the wall and on the ceiling.
Historic Hall
Painting by Cesare dell’Acqua (1867) of Maximilian Receiving the Mexican Delegation
Offering Him the Crown of Mexico
Apotheosis of Maximilian Ceiling Painting
The corner room was called the Chinese and Japanese Parlor, with oriental motifs.
Japanese and Chinese Parlor
The next room, the Saloon of Daedalus and Icarus, was named after a statue situated there, Daedalus Fitting Wings to Icarus, crafted out of white marble by Italian sculptor Innocenzo Fraccaroli in 1854.
Saloon of Daedalus and Icarus
This room was followed by an Audience Hall, with various portraits on the wall.
Audience Hall
The next room was the Room of Kingdoms, with pictures of various kings from various kingdoms. The bed in this room was a gift from a wedding gift from Pope Pius IX, though it was never slept in by Maxmillian.
Room of Kingdoms
The next room was the Prince’s Sitting Room, with an elaborate chess set.
Prince’s Sitting Room
At the top of the Grand Staircase was a fountain surrounded by dragons.
Fountain with Dragons
We also saw a suite of rooms on the first floor used by military hero the Duke of Aosta in the 1930s, furnished in the Italian rationalist style.
Prince Amedeo, 3rd Duke of Aosta