Royalty

IMG_5272, originally uploaded by bratislavadavis.

06-08-07

The Hofburg Palace was the residence of the Hapsburg dynasty from 1279 until their demise after World War I in 1918. The Schatzkammer or Imperial Treasury consists of twenty-one rooms showcasing the pompous treasures collected by the Hapsburgs over several centuries.

The most famous piece in the Schatzkammer collection is the octagonal imperial crown of the Holy Roman Empire. The crown is constructed of gold with inlaid pearls and other precious gems (144 in total). There are four biblical scenes engraved on smaller plates that depict David, Solomon, Isaiah and Jesus.

In order to understand the importance of the Holy Roman Empire crown, it is imperative to know the history of the Empire. In the 4th Century, Constantine divided the Roman Empire into two realms - the East and the West. Constantine established Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) as the center in the East while Rome continued to be the center of the West. In 476, Rome fell to barbaric Germanic tribes and the papacy would eventually gain autonomy over the Western Empire as Catholicism became the dominating force in Western Europe. Charlemagne in 800 C.E. worked a deal with the pope that named him the Holy Roman Emperor. However, it wasn’t until Otto the Great that there was a continuous linage of monarchy ruling the Holy Roman Empire. Two centuries later, the Habsburg dynasty began with Rudolf the Elder reigning over the Holy Roman Empire.

Also on display is the personal sword of Charlemagne known as the Joyeuse which is translated as “joyful”

The imperial crown of Austria was the coronet of emperor Rudolf II of the Hapsburg dynasty. The crown was crafted together in 1602 by Prague goldsmith Jan Vermeyen. There are three sections of the imperial crown which are the circlet with valuable stones such as pearls, zircons, and spinels, the high arch and a mitre- which is the traditional headwear adorned by the Catholic bishops. Thus the imperial crown is known as a mitral crown since it is similar to the shape of the hats that the Bishops cover their heads with. The mitre also symbolizes the divine right for the emperor to rule over the Austrian Empire.

I found the Schatzkammer interesting for a while, but I quickly found it tedious to observe royal jewelry, silverware, utensils and portraits. The Hapsburg dynasty becomes far more interesting for me with the progressive Joseph II, which would eventually lead to the enlightenment in the 19th century.