When was belvedere palace built

The extraordinary Upper Belvedere Palace, having been designed especially for exhibition, became a popular venue throughout the 19 th century for events of all types. In Upper Belvedere became the property of the Republic of Austria and similarly was dedicated for use as public museum. Other buildings on the Palace site now also house art galleries. Built according to Lucas von Hildebrandt's plans, the construction of the Upper Belvedere took place between the years and In the days of Prince Eugene, it served primarily for state functions, large festivals, and formal receptions.

After his death, the palace with its beautiful view became an imperial painting gallery that was open to the public. The Lower Belvedere was completed in and marked the boundary between the Baroque building complex and the imperial city of Vienna. Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt planned the Lower Belvedere for Prince Eugene as a residential building, with staterooms that illustrate the Baroque lifestyle and craftsmanship.

Today, the rooms of the Lower Belvedere and the Orangery are used for exhibitions and events. The building of the Belvedere 21 is considered to be an architectural icon of post-war modernism. Karl Schwanzer originally created the steel skeleton structure as the Austrian pavilion for the World's Fair in Brussels, using clear forms, glass halls, and modern building materials. After the fair, the building, which received the Grand Prix d'Architecture, was adapted for museum purposes and rebuilt in the Schweizer Garten, opening in as the Museum of the Twentieth Century.

The Baroque gardens of the Belvedere rank among the most beautiful in the world. The main garden is situated between the Lower and the Upper Belvedere and extends over three large terraces. The design, by Dominique Girard, garden architect of the Elector of Bavaria, showcases all the essential elements of Baroque garden architecture: symmetrical flower parterres, water basins, tiers and steps, trimmed hedges, and more. The former private garden of Prince Eugene, known as the Kammergarten Privy Garden , offers a particularly secluded ambiance.

It is located west of the Lower Belvedere and divided into two terraces. At one time, this garden area was bordered to the north by the orangery and to the south by an aviary.

In between, there were fountains, ornately decorated pavilions with pergolas, and magnificent parterre areas ablaze with flowers, all reserved exclusively for the former landlord and his closest companions. The Belvedere 21 sculpture garden showcases works by internationally renowned artists. In , Heimo Zobernig created an architectural intervention with five stage-like concrete bases.

These platforms relate to the overall architecture of the building and are suitable for various purposes. Unique attractions are the rhododendron blossoms that start flowering in April and a collection of more than Japanese bonsai.

The Alpine Garden is open to the public every year during peak flowering season, from the end of March to the beginning of August. The Botanical Garden adjoins the Belvedere park. Established in under Empress Maria Theresa, it is now an independent division of the University of Vienna. The expansive grounds include open spaces and greenhouses and are home to thousands of species including medicinal plants, which were the foundation of the garden originally.

The site, where the first garden was laid out in around , was a narrow and very long strip of land sloping upwards to the south. Hildebrandt was involved from at least , and the city plan of by Leander Anguissola and Jakob Marinoni shows a palace at the foot of the slope. The general appearance is that of an orangery, and indeed only the central pavilion and the west wing contain living rooms, with two orangeries of eleven bays each flanking the central pavilion.

The three central bays rise through two storeys and contain the main hall, which was frescoed in by Martino Altomonte, who painted the figurative parts, and Marcantonio Chiarini — , who executed the architectural parts. In after the completion of the Lower Belvedere, the Bavarian court landscape designer Dominique Girard, was invited to design the Belevedere garden. He divided the long strip into three rectangular areas, with trees and fountains next to the Lower Belvedere and two partly sunk parterres beyond.

The central axis is a visual one only and the way up is by ramps on either side of the parterres, making use of the sloping ground. The garden sculpture is by Lorenzo Mattielli — and his workshop; the iron railings of c. To have a building at the other end of the garden to close the vista was quite customary in Vienna, but these were nearly always small and often transparent. The Modern Gallery opens in the Lower Belvedere as a state museum and counterpart to the imperial collections.

The intent behind its founding is to present Austrian art in an international context. The collection is enriched by acquisitions from the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Fine Artists Austria—Vienna Secession as well as by donations from private individuals.

The collection's holdings are complemented by loans from the Association of Friends of the State Gallery. Extensive expansion of the collection, with prestigious donations and permanent loans from patrons such as the Bloch-Bauer, Lederer, and Wittgenstein families among others.

Close connections between the museum administration and Nazi authorities are evidenced both by the considerable acquisition budget for "native German art" and by the closure of the Modern Gallery under the false claim of "saving degenerate art from confiscation. During World War II the palaces are severely damaged. Beginning in , the Belvedere palaces undergo reconstruction and renovation.

On completion of repair work, museum operations at the Upper Belvedere resume as the Austrian Gallery. The s bring about the modernization of federal museums under the heading "A Billion for our Museums.