The Imperial Treasury is located in Swiss Court yard in Hofburg palace and is one of the world's most important collections of imperial and royal regalia and jewels. Schatzkammer involves priceless objects from a thousand years of European history. The Treasury is divided into two sections: Secular and Ecclesiastical.
During the 14th century, all the treasures (both ecclesiastical and secular) were kept in the sacristy of the Imperial Chapel .The Ecclesiastical Treasury (Geistliche Schatzkammer) contains nearly five hundred devotional items such as crosses, altars, holy statues, reliquaries, and icons, which were used by the court and the Habsburgs for prayer and religious ceremonies. The Secular treasury (Weltliche Schatzkammer) such as jewelries and precious stones as well as important documents and insignia, were symbols of the power of the House of Habsburg.(House of Habsburg : one of the most important royal houses of Europe and origin of all of the Holy Roman Emperors for about 300 years, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and several other countries)
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| Photo by Amin.Mana |
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| Photo by Amin.Mana |
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| Photo by Amin.Mana |
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| Photo by Amin.Mana |
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| Photo by Amin.Mana |
By the order of Emperor Rudolf II (probably), a new wing was constructed on the northwest side of the Hofburg and the treasury was housed on the top floor of it. Some parts of that wing are still in use by the treasury today. Maria Theresia (Reign: 1740 -1780) ordered an extensive reorganization of the Treasury.
.JPG "Mantle of the Vestments of the Order of the Golden Fleece - With the exceptions of the angels, all the figures displayed on the cope's semicircular surface are female saints") |
| Or Nué (silk over gold threads) |
After the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, Ecclesiastical Treasury together with the Secular Treasury were attached to the Kunsthistorisches Museum which was opened in 1891. In 1921, the sacred treasures of the Capuchin Monastery were also added to the inventory of the Ecclesiastical Treasury. The Treasury has encountered many alterations after the two World Wars and resulted in the current appearance after the final reorganizations between 1983 and 1987.
Selected Masterpieces of the Treasury
The Crown of Rudolf II, later Crown of the Austrian Empire is the most important work among the regalia of the Austrian Empire. It was made in Prague in 1602 as the personal crown of Emperor Rudolf II, who had been Holy Roman Emperor since 1576. It is made of pure gold, partially enameled and studded with diamonds, rubies, sapphires, pearls, and cushioned with velvet. Beside the crown is the scepter, which early records state that was turned from the horn of the legendary “unicorn”. In reality, however, it is made from the tusk of a narwhal.
The Achatschale (Agate bowl) is the largest surviving work of the lapidary art in the world which dated back to the fourth century. The bowl, including the handles, is cut from a single block of agate and is about 58cm in diameter.
The Baptismal Basin and Ewer, made from about 10.5 kg of gold along with 10,000 guilders, was the wedding present to Archduke Charles of Inner Austria and Maria of Bavaria.
.JPG "The Holy Lance") |
| Photo by Amin.Mana |
This Lance in Schatzkammer is one of the three or four major relics that are claimed to be the Holy Lance. According to the Gospel of John as Jesus hung on the Cross, a roman centurion pierced his side with a spear to find out whether he is dead or alive. For a long time the Holy Lance (also called the Spear of Destiny) was seen as a symbol of imperial power and the most noble of the imperial insignia, and its miraculous powers were considered capable of turning the course of battle.
The Ainkhürn was mistaken for the horn of a unicorn and was considered more valuable than gold. In reality, the horn belongs to the male Narwhal, which is a medium-sized whale that lives in the Arctic waters near Canada and Greenland.
.JPG "Chain of a Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece") |
| Photo by Amin.Mana |
.JPG "Potence (Chain of Arms) of the Herald of the Order of the Golden Fleece") |
| Photo by Amin.Mana |
The collection houses various items of the Order of the Golden Fleece, such as the only surviving neck chain from the early period of the Order. The chain was awarded by the sovereign and symbolized the fundamental concept of equality and brotherhood among members, since membership in the Order of the Golden Fleece was experienced as a strong, distinctly holy bond. The Order of the Golden Fleecewas one of the most prestigious orders in the middle Ages and still exists today. It was founded by Duke Philip the Good and Princess Isabella of Portugal in 1430. The Legend of the Golden Fleece goes back to a well-known Greek myth.
.JPG "Portrait of Charlemagne in the imperial crown") |
Painted by Albrecht Dürer (1471 – 1528)
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The Imperial Crown (Reichskrone), is the hoop crown (Bügelkrone) of the King of the Romans, the rulers of the German Kingdom since 11th century. Most of the kings were crowned with it. The crown was probably used for the first time for the coronation of Conrad II and the last time in 18th century for Franz II.
.JPG "Swiss Court yard of the Hofburg - Entrance to the Imperial Treasury")
.JPG "The mantle with train is made of red velvet and studded with a pattern of gold-threaded embroidery")
.JPG "The Imperial Cross was created during the reign of Emperor Conrad II (1024-1039)")
.JPG "Crown of István Bocskay , Prince of Hungary")
.JPG "This giant emerald was found in Colombia's Muzu mine, which had been discovered by the Spanish in 1558. The uncut stone, consisting of a larger and a smaller crystal that had grown together, was probably purchased by Emperor Rudolph II")
.JPG "The cradle was a gift from the city of Paris to Napoleon and his second wife, Marie-Louise, on the occasion of the birth of their son, Napoléon-François-Charles-Joseph, on 20 March 1811.")
.JPG "Imperial Orb, Sceptre and the Crown of the Emperor Rudolf II")
.JPG "Crown of the Emperor Rudolf II")
.JPG "The Agate bowl")
.JPG "Baptismal Basin and Ewer")
.JPG "Ainkhürn")
.JPG "Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire")
