Eggenberg Castle in Austria, Graz resort
Rating: 7,7/10 (3003 votes) 
Eggenberg Castle is the aristocratic residence of Styria. It is located on the outskirts of the city of Graz. The castle was built from 1625 to 1635. The closest adviser and favorite of Emperor Ferdinand II, Prince Eggenberg, wished to build such a palace. The castle was designed by Giovanni Pietro de Pomis. When creating the project, he took into account the prince's fascination with astrology. Thus, the unique structure was intended to remind of the movement of the stars and the passage of time: 24 office rooms symbolize the number of hours a day, 52 rooms - number of weeks in a year, 4 side towers - seasons. Presumably, the number of windows in the palace - 365 symbolizes the number of days in a year. Astrological iconography can be traced in the frescoes of the central hall of the Planets, in the old part of the garden and in the greenhouse. The construction of the castle was completed after the death of the customer. The main finishing works were carried out from 1641 to 1646. In 1666, the grandson of the late Prince Eggenberg ordered the artist Weissenkircher to create 600 pieces of art for the castle, which to this day are the decoration of the palace. After the death of the last member of the Eggenberg family, the castle was inherited by their relatives - Herberstein. They owned the castle until 1939, after which it became the property of the state government of Styria. Count Philippe Meran, one of the morganatic descendants of the emperors of Austria, created a hunting museum here, which is part of the Graz Art Museum. In some rooms of the castle there is an archaeological collection, in which the Stretweg cult carriage is considered a unique exposition. Another attraction of the castle is the numismatic collection, which includes more than 70 thousand exhibits. Eggenberg Castle is a masterpiece that combines the achievements of science of that time and true nature, and in 2010 it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.   
We also recommend reading Main square in Austria, Graz spa Topic: Eggenberg Castle in Austria, Graz resort. |
