I have been once to the Schönbrunn castle, summer residence of the Habsburg emperors from the 18th century to 1918, a Rococo masterpiece projected by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and situated in a quarter of Vienna, Hietzing (on the right bank of the river Wien), that was at the time a forest zone. Nicola Pacassi projected the yellow fronts for the empress Mary Theresa. The castle was reconstructed by J. Aman and then damaged in the second war. It was also the residence of Napoleon in Austria and there took place the Congress of Vienna and some of meetings of Kennedy and Kruscev. From the main entrance formed by two obelisks and an iron fence you pass to the court, where are two fountains and low buildings; between them is the theatre, projected by Pacassi. Above all there is the main front, 175 m long, with a lot of columns and windows. In the castle there are a lot of royal rooms, divided in many parts (of Mary Theresa, of Francis Joseph, of Joseph II, of Francis Charles and Sophie of Bavaria and Bergl Rooms) with original furniture and frescos; the nicest rooms are the Great Gallery, the Million Room and the chapel. To the castle belong also the coach houses, the stables, the Physician House and the longest Orangery (186m) in the world, used for cultivation of exotic plants and for special events. The park is 120 hectares large and have everywhere perspective avenues, statues and fountains; it starts with two private imperial gardens. The Great Parterre has a lot of geometric flower beds, statues and alignments of trees and brings to the beautiful Neptune fountain and behind it, to the Gloriette, a neo-classical colonnade on a hill with a vast meadow. Near that is the Fasan Garden and the labyrinth. On the lateral avenues there are the Naiad Fountain, the Nice Fountain, that gives name to the castle, and two false remains constructed in romantic style: the Roman Ruin and the Egyptian Obelisk. In the botanical garden there are two beautiful monuments: the Great Palm House (114 m long), made by glass and iron, and the Sundial House. Near that is the first zoo in the world, founded in 1752 by Francis Stephen, with a nice pavilion and twelve original animal houses around it.

The castle is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen because of the beauty of the architecture, its rooms and its park. It's absolutely worth to be visited also because it is the most beautiful castle and park in Austria and justifies the inscription also because its historical importance.

Photo: Vienna - Schönbrunn castle