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Belvedere

Prince Eugene of Savoy's Residence

The Belvedere is a baroque palace complex in Vienna, consisting of the Upper Belvedere, the Lower Belvedere, and the Belvedere Garden. Originally the residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy, the Belvedere is now open as an art gallery with a collection of works by Klimt, Monet, Van Gogh, and other painters.

The Belvedere is a baroque palace complex in Vienna, which began in 1712 as the residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy. After his death, the Belvedere was passed into the hands of Maria Theresa, and then gradually became a place where the Habsburgs used to display their painting collection.

The Belvedere consists of two main buildings, the Upper and Lower Belvedere, and the Belvedere Garden located between them. The Upper Belvedere was completed in 1723, with rooms such as the Sala Terrena and the Marble Hall, and is now one of the most popular art museums in Vienna, with a collection of works by artists such as Klimt, Egon Schiele, Monet and Van Gogh. Among them, “The Kiss” by the Viennese Secessionist painter Klimt is the most well-known.

The Kiss by Gustav Klimt, 1908

Manywhere Trivia:
The green roof of the Upper Belvedere is modeled after the shape of the tents of the Turkish army, used to proclaim the heroic deeds of Prince Eugen in his fight against the Ottoman Empire.

Tiered Fountains in the Garden

Between the Upper and Lower Belvedere, there is a French garden called Belvedere Garden. The garden is divided into three areas based on the terrain, representing the Four Elements of Greek mythology, Mount Parnassus and Mount Olympus. The garden has Tiered Fountains designed with the help of the height difference and a large number of Sculptural Artworks.

Prince Eugene of Savoy lived in the Lower Belvedere during his lifetime, and the building contains many lavishly decorated rooms such as the Gold Cabinet, the Hall of Grotesques, the Marble Hall, and the Marble Gallery. Today the Lower Belvedere, along with the attached Orangery and Stables, is used as a temporary exhibition space that hosts occasional thematic art exhibitions.