Schonbrunn Palace Part I: Discovering all the connections to Versailles (or the "Real HouseQueens of Austria")

A trip to Vienna's  Schonbrunn Palace in October

Schonbrunn Palace is an impressive Viennese residence, the  summer home to the Habsburgs, and filled with original paintings and ornate furnishings from the Austrian royal family. But, up until this year, sadly, I had never heard of it - unlike the more well-known French royal abode, Versailles. However, after visiting Schonbrunn in October, I found it to be incredibly beautiful with ties to not only the Habsburg dynasty, but Versailles as well, which we visited in 2008. 

As part of our Blue Danube cruise this fall, we spent a few days in Vienna and opted for the Schonbrunn Palace tour. We were so glad we did - truly one of the highlights and I learned more about European history that I can remember from any high school or college classes. Specifically, I got schooled on the story of the Habsburg summer palace and its connections to other royal residences, including Versailles.

The garden side of Schonbrunn Palace

Like Versailles, Schonbrunn was once a hunting retreat:   the later estate came to the Habsburg in the mid-16th century via Maximillian II and, after his death, it passed on to  his son Rudolph II, who used it as a hunting ground. In 1612, he was said to have discovered a "fair spring" (in German, "schnoner brunnen"), which eventually gave the site its name. Just five years earlier, as noted in Chateau Versailles' history, the future King Louis XIII, first became acquainted with the famed French palace's grounds as a young boy, in 1607, also on a hunting excursion.  It would be the next few generations of each family, however,  that would build both royal homes to the grandeur we see today.

Versailles(2008) - the French chateau, like Schonbrunn, was once a hunting locale for royals 

Schonbrunn's opulence began under the direction of Empress Maria Theresa when her father, Charles VI gifted it to her in 1736.  She reigned over Austria from 1740 -1780 (give or take a few other countries/empires here and there) and, along with her husband, Francis I, she had sixteen children. While supervising the restructuring of Schonbrunn, she was also the great political power of the Austrian  couple. One of her strategies to keep peace among the many empires was to marry off her children to regal spouses in other countries. During her forty year rule, Maria Theresa was pregnant for half of it and still managed to oversee a country and expand Schonbrunn. 

Even Maria Theresa's rival, the Prussian Emperor was said to have remarked,  "When at last the Habsburgs get a great man, it's a woman."

The "mirror hall" of Schonbrunn is not unlike Versailles's Hall of Mirrors.

Maria Theresa augmented Schonbrunn to not only accommodate her growing family, but also compete with other royal residences, including Versailles.  Rooms were ornately gilded and flocked, much like the French estate, but perhaps, the biggest "lift", is seen in Schonbrunn's "mirror hall", looking very much like the "Hall of Mirrors" at Versailles.

But, the strongest tie to the two palaces was the royal match of King Louis XVI to Maria Theresa's daughter, Maria Antonia, better known to the world as, Marie Antoinette. 

Adding to my Marie Antoinette collection: a picture from Rachel's visit to Paris, a copy of her china from Bernardaud in NYC and now, postcard of her childhood home

That was a connection I hadn't put together until we walked the halls of Schonbrunn. The young French Queen of the famed "Let them eat cake" decree (which, whether she really said that, has been heavily disputed) spent her formative years at  Hofburg Palace (the family's home in "downtown" Vienna) and  Schonbrunn. 

After Maria Theresa's death, Schonbrunn had a number of eclectic and eccentric residents, including Napolean Bonaparte, who, after divorcing his first wife, Josephine, married the grand niece of Marie Antoinette. 

The gardens of Schonbrunn

The crazy pair-ups could easily play out in a "Real Related HouseQueens of Austria". Consider  one of the later pairings in the mix, the marriage of the penultimate Austrian Emperor, Franz Joseph. His mother had selected his bride, her niece, Helene, from Munich.  When Franz Jospeph first met Helene, who was accompanied by her mother (his aunt), and younger sister, Elisabeth, he took matters into his own hands. Franz Joseph overrode his mother's pre-selection and chose Elisabeth instead who, by portraits and other written accounts, was the great beauty of her time.

Franz Joseph's style was much less ostentatious than some of his predecessors and his spaces reflect a quiet elegance. Both he and Elisabeth's (widely known as "Sisi") rooms are also part of the Schonbrunn tour (Napoleon's, too!)

The last emperor, Karl, abdicated in 1918.  One year later, once again, the French palace was tied to  Austria with the Treaty of Versailles.  As part of that agreement, Germany was to sever all ties with Austria. That held . . . for awhile.

The connections to the royal families and their palaces of Europe are as fascinating as they are complex.

It's time to take a break with something else from Schonbrunn: Vienna tea from its gift shop!

Stay tuned to Schonbrunn Palace, Part II, where we actually talk more about the many rooms inside.

Vienna tea, from one of the gift shops at Schonbrunn.

 

Opening day tea time: English breakfast black tea pairs well with hunter's orange

Bringing a bit of civility to Opening Day with a hot cup of English Breakfast

Nothing says "tea time" like opening day!

Wait, wait -  let me rephrase that:  opening day has nothing to do with tea time. . . unless BTS is invited to your deer blind.

Before we go into detail, I should state up front, I'm not a hunter and I've never shot a gun (except for paintball, where striking members of your extended family with a short sting of pain marking them with the humiliating splotch of color that soaks their clothes is surprisingly exhilarating!). But, I have been around for many November 15th gatherings at our up north compound, Pemberly Pines - now approaching almost two decades of such a tradition - mostly with Gulley menfolk.

Chris and Bryan November 14th walkabout at Pemberly Pines

Over the years, at various times, my brother-in-law, Bryan, my husband, Chris, and our two sons, Rob and Matt, have braved the up north mid-November conditions on our twenty acres of woods-  first in tents, then pop-up camper, to, finally, our not-so-rustic cabin - to rise before sunrise, pad through the darkness and, quite literally, set their sites for (sort of) big game hunting.

Schedules and geography have limited our sons' participation in the past few years, but I come up in their stead to partake in the traditional dinner at the Redwood Steakhouse in town. This year, however, keeping company in a deer blind got a little more palatable with our recent purchase of a golf cart, outfitted with "off-road" tires. After so many years of being comfortable on the sidelines, I decided, at least once, to experience the early morning ritual I've witnessed for so long, and offered to accompany Bryan to his deer blind (the only solid, permanent blind on our property) set (too) far back from the comforts of the cabin, and provided my expert golf cart chauffeuring services. He agreed. So, Bryan supplied the chair cushions, the heater, the handwarmers and, yes, I brought the tea.

Golf cart, touring the Garden of Cosmic Speculation, can handle snowy terrain with "off road" tires

Marveled by my navigation skills, Bryan was amazed that I could hit every low hanging branch that would ricochet its ample load of snow right back to the cart, mostly on the passenger side (that was a compliment, wasn't it?). We parked quietly several feet away from the blind and made the trek by foot -, a bit terrifying in darkness and ungroomed paths. But, we made it!

After firing up the heater and arranging our chairs, I brought out the thermos of hot tea - an English Breakfast blend, robust and hearty, perfect for the occasion.  You may be asking, were their scones? Any savories?  A linen napkin or two?

Alas, the rest of the tea time fare and accoutrements were as scarce as the deer.  

But, all was not lost. While tea time in the deer blind may not catch on, there are some Opening Day traditions that have proven worthy of this mid-November event - dinner at the Redwood Steakhouse and that we did sans scones or venison.

Redwood Steakhouse, no scones or venison

Tuesday Tea and Tomes: Anderson Cooper's 'Vanderbilt, the Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty' (review by a Vander-obsessed blogger)

Vanderbilt:  The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty served up with Biltmore tea set

Disclaimer to the review: I'm a bit Vander-obsessed. In the past decade, I've visited four of their homes-turned-museums in the U.S. and one in England,  viewed their treasures at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, walked the grounds of their namesake university and read  the family's biographies and autobiographies.  (And, if we enter the WABAC machine, I owned a few pairs of Gloria Vanderbilt jeans in the early 1980's - wearing a pair on my first date with my husband, Chris).

Reading Consuelo Vanderbilt's autobiography while in Newport

So, when I saw the promotions early this fall for Anderson Cooper's latest book (son of the famous jeans designer) with the  title  "Vanderbilt, the Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty", I knew I had to purchase. 

Vanderbilt Mansion Hyde Park, NY

Bringing fam to my Vanderbilt trips - Rachel in NY mansion

Gloria Vanderbilt wasn't the only famous Vanderbilt, of course, but she may well have been the last one to have enjoyed the lavish lifestyle that the family was well-known for. 

Cooper, is the great-great-great grandson of Cornelius  Vanderbilt  (aka, "The Commodore) who amassed the family's great fortune, first in shipping, then railroads, in the 19th century and passed it down to generations who constructed or restored some of the largest homes in American and England. By the 20th century, little was left in family coffers due to careless spending, taxes, and shifts in the transportation industry.  However, some gilded-aged relics of their excesses remain in the form of mansions and palaces that are private residences turned public galleries.  These mansions include, the Biltmore in North Carolina, The Breakers and The Marble House (referred to as "cottages") in Rhode Island,  the Vanderbilt Home in New York and, across the pond, Blenheim Palace (and, yes, I've been to all of them).

Vanderbilt University, Nashville

Biltmore, NC

The first half of Anderson Cooper's book focuses on the "rise" and ostentatious display  of the family's wealth. If you're new to the family history, this is a good and readable introduction. For those of us who've been acquainted with this dynasty for some time, including social climbing Alva Vanderbilt who not only challenged "the Mrs. Astor" but pushed her daughter Consuelo into a loveless marriage to a British aristocrat for status,  the dedicated chapters to the colorful characters won't provide a whole lot of fresh details, but it's still entertaining. 

Blenheim Palace, England

Consuelo & the Duke, Vanderbilt cash for class

The second half of the book, however, seems a little more disjointed on the tale of the "fall". There are side by side chapters  where a few great uncles are spotlighted - the tragic death of Alfred Vanderbilt who went down with the Lusitania and the overly detailed sailing techniques of Harold Vanderbilt (Consuelo's brother)  in his efforts to win the America's Cup.  The remainder of the book is focused on Gloria who first caught the public's attention in the 1930's during what was then described as the trial of the century.  Anderson Cooper's mother moved from the custody battle title of "poor little rich girl" to a glamorous socialite who was befriended, then betrayed by, Truman Capote. In between, she married a few famous older men, in search of a father figure, before marrying Anderson Cooper's father, Wyatt, who seemed to have brought her not only happiness but stability, be it sadly short-lived.

The Breakers cottage in Newport, RI

Inside Alva's Marble House in RI

I did like the book, but, as a fan of the Vanderbilt story and the "silver fox" CNN reporter, Cooper, I was hoping for a little bit more.  I think the emphasis may have been better placed on calling it what it really was more about - and that was that Gloria was the last to live the Vanderbilt lifestyle,  a peculiar blend of wasteful and excessive spending combined with fierce ambition to leave a unique stamp of the Vanderbilt brand for the public to applaud.

Chris 40 yrs after first date Vander-tripping with me

Vanderbilt desk at The Met in NYC

I'm definitely drawn to this family saga of wealth, savvy, flamboyance, unbridled drive, entitlement and scandal.  I'm a huge fan of their legacy;  the homes, the treasures, the university and, although a distant memory and a few sizes ago , the jeans were pretty cool, too.