UPPER BELVEDERE
The two Belvedere palaces were built at the beginning of the eighteenth century by the famous Baroque architect Johann Lucas von
Hildebrandt, who will be used as the summer residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663-1736). This ensemble, which includes the Upper and
Lower Belvedere and an extensive garden, is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Today in Belvedere is stored the greatest collection
of Austrian art, dating from the Middle Ages to the present day, supplemented by the works of international artists such as Claude Monet,
Vincent van Gogh and Max Beckmann. The main exhibits of 1880-1914. - the world's largest collection of paintings by Gustav Klimt (including
the famous gold paintings in the modern style "Kiss" and "Judit") and the works of Egon Schiele and Oscar Kokoschka. Key works of French
impressionism and the greatest collection of Viennese art Biedermeier - this is another attraction in the Upper Belvedere.
The plan for the construction of the Upper Belvedere, in its present form, replaced the original idea of the glorifier "with a beautiful view of the
city". Construction took place between 1717 and 1723 years. In the days of Prince Eugene, the Upper Belvedere served primarily the purposes
of prestige and manifestation; in the second half of the 1770s he was adapted to accommodate the Imperial Picture Gallery.
Four powerful atlantes support the vaulted ceiling of Sala Terrena (hall on the first floor). Originally this room was designed as a spacious hall,
but after the damage in the winter of 1732/33 the construction of four columns became important. The hall overlooks the garden and leads to
the Grand Staircase, thus integrating the garden hall and the lobby in one room.
Initially, the main entrance was located on the southern side of the Upper Belvedere and even recognized today with the help of ramps. From
there the guests went up the Great staircase to the main floor of the palace. Plaster reliefs adorn the walls, demonstrating the triumph of
Alexander the Great over Darius on the right wall and the wives of Darius to Alexander on the left. Initially, the ceiling depicted the scene of
Alexander, sharing the Gordian knot. However, problems with the construction of the roof led to the fact that it was filmed in the nineteenth
century and replaced with a socket that can still be seen today.