Page 76 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2016 - Austria

74  VIENNA AREA B Y AREA

The magnificent Prunksaal in the National Library, Josefsplatz
l Josefsplatz by Nikolaus Pacassi. They now events including the royal
serve as cultural venues for wedding of Marie Louise (1812)
Map 2 B4. % Stephansplatz,
Herrengasse. @ 1A, 2A. the city. to Napoleon, and that of
Elisabeth of Bavaria (Sisi) to
In the centre of Josefsplatz stands Franz Joseph (1854).
an equestrian statue (1807) of z Augustiner kirche
Joseph II portrayed as a Roman Augustinerstrasse 3. Map 2 B5. Tel 53
emperor, by Franz Anton Zauner. 37 099. % Stephansplatz, Karlsplatz, x Albertina
Behind the statue, to the Oper. @ 2A. Open 7am–6pm daily. Albertinaplatz 1. Map 2 B5.
right, is the entrance to the Mass: 11am Sun & church hols. Tel 534 830. % Stephansplatz,
National Library building Karlsplatz. v 1, 2, 62, 71, D.
designed by Johann Bernhard The 14th-century Gothic @ 2A. Open 10am–6pm daily,
Fischer von Erlach. Its Prunksaal Augustinian church was refur- 10am–9pm Wed. ∑ albertina.at
(Hall of Honour) is regarded as bished in the Baroque style,
the most beautiful library in but some 100 years later was The Albertina was once the
Europe. Frescoes by the Baroque restored again to its original Habsburg palace of Duke
painter Daniel Gran adorn its character. Inside is one of the Albert of Sachsen-Teschen
vault. The walls of the historic most powerful works by and his wife Archduchess Maria
reading room are graced by Antonio Canova (1805), the Christina, the favourite daughter
Johann Bergl’s frescoes. tomb of Maria Christina, Maria of Maria Theresa.
Perhaps the grandest items in Theresa’s favourite daughter. It The beautiful Neo-Classical
the library’s rich collection are is shaped like a pyramid, Historic State Rooms in the
the cartographic treasures approached by a funeral palace are among the most
exhibited just behind the procession. St George’s valuable examples of Classical
Prunksaal. Chapel, on the right, architecture. They have been
The Redoutensäle, in contains a marble opened up to visitors.
the wing adja cent cenotaph dedicated to The Albertina houses one
to the library and Emperor Leopold II, of the world’s finest collection of
once the Court while further prints and drawings, including
Ballrooms, now along in the works by famous artists such
serve as the head Tomb of Maria Christina in Loreto chapel are as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelan-
office of the Vienna Augustinerkirche silver urns containing gelo, Dürer, Rubens, Manet and
Congress Centre. the hearts of the Cezanne, as well as by Schiele,
On the opposite side of Habsburg family, including Klimt and Picasso. It has a million
Josefsplatz are two interesting Leopold II’s, as well as the heart prints, over 65,000 watercolours
palaces: at No. 5 is the 18th- of Napoleon’s son, the King of and drawings and some 100,000
century Pallavicini Palace by Rome, who died when young. photographs. It is also home
Johann Ferdinand Hetzendorf The church was once the to the Sammlung Batliner, a
von Hohenberg, and at No. 6 Court Chapel and, as such, collection of paintings under
the 16th-century Palffy Palace the scene of many historic the motto “Monet to Picasso”.
For hotels and restaurants in this area see pp292–3 and pp310–12

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