The Spanish Riding School is a traditional riding school for Lipizzan horses and the only institution in the world where the classic equestrian skills has been preserved and is still practiced in its original form. It is located in the official Winter Riding Hall of the Imperial Palace in Hofburg.
The Spanish Riding School derives the indication “Spanish” from the breed of horse which is native to the Iberian Peninsula. These horses proved to be particularly suitable for classical horsemanship and were famous even in the Roman Age. The breeding of Spanish horses was introduced to Austria around 1562 by Archduke Maximilian, son of Ferdinand I. He founded a stud farm in Kladrub (Czech Republic). Three years later, reference was made to a so-called “Ross-Tumblplatz”, situated in front of the Stallburg. This was an uncovered riding ring which was unusable during bad weather. For this reason, a wooden “Spanish riding hall” (Spainischer Reithsall) was built in the place where the Josefsplatz is located now, in 1572.
In the year 1681, the Emperor Leopold I decided to commission a new riding school and so, after obtaining an estimation of costs, a command was given to start with the construction of a building where the first floor was intended for the court library and the ground floor for the riding school. As reported in 1683, the building was practically finished except for the roof tiles which needed to be hooked in. Soon afterwards the Turkish wars broke out and parts of the nearly finished riding school were badly affected.
More than four decades later, under the rule of Charles VI, the construction of another building commenced, using the existing main wall, but following a different building plan. During the years 1729 to 1735 Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach constructed the magnificent baroque building. Chiefly intended for horse-riding, a great number of courtly and equestrian festivities were held in the baroque riding hall, i.e. Maria Theresia’s famous Ladies’ Carousel, oratorios, masquerade balls, jousts, town hall meetings, and many more. From this time on, the Spanish Court Riding School exclusively used Lipizzaner horses from the Karster stud _ a name that was taken from the Slovenian village of Lipica_ and no longer any unknown Spanish horses. With their origins dating back to the 16th century, the Lipizzans are Europe's oldest breed of horses.
To this day the riders express their respect for the constructor of the hall every time they ride into the hall: they lift their bicorn hats in salutation in front of the portrait of Charles VI. After Charles’ death in 1740, Maria Theresa took over the regency. She was the first to celebrate medieval tournaments and carousels in the new Winter Riding School. The shape and form of the Spanish Court Riding School as we know it today came into existence at the beginning of the 19th century:
The Empire-uniforms of the “Schulreiter”: golden-edged bicorn hat, coffee-brown frock coat, yellow toned buckskin breeches, buckskin gloves and high leather boots, the red and gold saddle cloths and the slender, gold-plated breastplate and crupper of the stallions.
THE STALLBURG
The Stallburg is without doubt Vienna’s most prominent Renaissance building and part of the oldest surviving section of the Imperial Palace. Built during the 16th century (approx. 1558 – 1565) by Emperor Ferdinand I for his son and later Emperor Maximilian II, it housed the imperial family’s considerable art collections. The name Stallburg (Stall = stable, Burg = castle) stems from the horses which were reserved for the personal use of the imperial family and which were stabled in the stalls on the ground floor. To this day the noble Lipizzaners of the Spanish Riding School are also stabled here.
In 2008 the Stallburg was equipped with a mobile roof construction which makes it possible to organize theatrical performances and festivities in the inner courtyard regardless of the weather conditions.
