Page 32 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Vienna

30  INTRODUCING VIENNA THE HIST OR Y OF VIENNA  31

Vienna under Maria Theresa This painting by Martin Where to See Maria
Damenkarussell
The long reign of Maria Theresa was a time of serenity, van Meytens depicts the Theresa’s Vienna
Damen karussell (1743),
wealth and sensible administration, despite a background which was held at the Schönbrunn Palace (see
of frequent wars. The vast palace of Schönbrunn was Winter Riding School pp174–7) and the Theresianum
completed by the Empress, who also presided over Vienna’s (see pp100–101) to (p153) date from the reign of
Maria Theresa. Joseph II later
development as the musical capital of Europe. She was celebrate the defeat commissioned the Josephinum
of the French army
succeeded by Joseph II, who introduced many reforms, at Prague. (p113) and the Narrenturm
including religious freedom and public health measures. (p113), and opened the Augarten
However, these reforms made him unpopular with his Extent of the City (p166) and Prater (pp164–5) to
the public. There is a Rococo
subjects, including the nobility who were angered by the 1775 Today organ in the Michaelerkirche
way he handed out titles to bankers and industrialists. (p94), and some of Maria
Theresa’s tableware is in the
Hofburg Treasuries (pp102–3).
Rococo Table
Wilhelm Martitz
designed this Stephansdom Belvedere
Rococo table in Karlskirche Gardens
1769 for Maria
Theresa, who
employed artists
committed to the
elaborate Rococo style.
Schönbrunn Palace is filled with
Rococo interiors commissioned
by Maria Theresa.

View from the BelvedereView from the Belvedere
Under Maria Theresa, the Under Maria Theresa, the
Burgtheater Programme Viennese were able to enjoy Viennese were able to enjoy
This programme was printed for a prosperous city. This town­a prosperous city. This town­
Young Mozart the first performance of Mozart’s scape by Bernardo Bellotto scape by Bernardo Bellotto The Rococo high altar in the
Mozart often performed for the The Marriage of Figaro in 1786, (1759–61) shows them (1759–61) shows them Michaelerkirche dates from
Habsburgs, who were highly which took place in the original sauntering through the sauntering through the The Pope around 1750.
receptive to his genius. Burgtheater on Michaelerplatz. gardens of the Belvedere, gardens of the Belvedere, In 1782 Pope Pius VI came to Vienna
with the palaces and churches with the palaces and churches in an attempt to undo the religious
of the city in the distance.of the city in the distance. reforms of Joseph II.

Christoph 1775 1781 Joseph II’s Allgemeine
Gluck Augarten Edict of Toleration Krankenhaus
1744–9 Schönbrunn Palace is extensively 1754 Vienna’s first opened to
altered by Maria Theresa’s court architect, census records a the public by 1784 Joseph II founds the
Nikolaus Pacassi population of Joseph II Allgemeine Krankenhaus
175,000 and Narrenturm (see p113)
1740 1750 1760 17701770 1780 1790
1740 Maria 1762 First performance of Christoph 1786 First 1790–2 Emperor
Theresa comes to Gluck’s (see p40) Orpheus and performance of Leopold II
the throne; war of Eurydice in the Burgtheater 1782 Pope Mozart’s The
the Austrian 1766 Prater, formerly an imperial Pius VI visits Marriage of Figaro 1791 First performance of
Succession game reserve, opened to the Vienna in the Burgtheater Mozart’s The Magic Flute
Schönbrunn Palace public by Joseph II

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